McLuhan, an educator, philosopher, and scholar is well known for The Medium is the Message. But he also has contributed to the technology with his Laws of Media.
Thornburg's video (Laureate Education, 2009) describes McLuhan's tetrads in two different categories: social implications and technological implications. I have, therefore, created two tetrads for the cell phone. The first one based on social and the second one based on technology.
Enhances: The ability to communicate anytime, anywhere. This may be a benefit to doctors, business owners, and others who can benefit from being available anytime and not just "when in the office." It may be a benefit in some social situations such as when a woman is going to have a baby. She can contact people immediately. On the other hand, I am uncertain if it is truly a benefit to everyone.
Obsoletes: The words, "I couldn't reach you." This is almost the opposite of the social enhancement.
Rekindles: The desire to communicate. Long ago, the telegraph and the delivery of mail was generated from the desire to communicate.
Reverses: 24/7 contact. Eventually, people may be in constant 24/7 contact with anyone, anywhere. It may be normal to be having several conversations simultaneously.
Enhances: Original "mobile" car phone. At one time, you could only chat while in your automobile.
Obsoletes: Landlines. Many people do not have a "home" phone number or a landline in their house.
Rekindles: Portable home phones. At one time, the state-of-the art technology was a portable phone, one you could carry around in your house (but it was wirelessly dependent on a wired base phone).
Reverses: The next generation of Smart Phones. Cell phones have merged with other handheld technologies to be much more than just a method of talking to a person. One cannot also speculate if something like the Star Trek "communicator" could be coming up next - or is that the reversal of the walkie talkie?
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). McLuhan’s tetrad. [DVD]. In emerging and future technology. (Available from MBS Direct Virtual Bookstore, http://www.mbsdirect.net/Index.htm)found on our
4 comments:
Koh,
The way you have divided the information into two areas and posted the tetrads separately is very easy to follow. I wanted to give you an update earlier but "I couldn't reach you". Personally, I will be very happy when that particular statement becaomes archaic English.
Well done!
John R.
Really interesting. I love to see the different perspectives of the same technology. Recently I came accross an article which dealt with the relationships we have with our cell phones. I was surprised at how many people feel the technology to be a burden of sorts. I think it all has to do with the limits you set on the technologies in your life, how you use them, and how much you will allow them to be a force driving you, or a tool which you drive! I often feel that people let the tail wag the dog so to speak when it comes to their cell phones.
Koh,
Excellent work, providing one tetrad for the social implications of cell phones and one for the technological implications.
John mentioned the isolating effect of cell phones, and you discussed the lack of privacy and the potential for overwhelming, 24/7 contact. This made me think that, although the tetrad would not look a symmetrically pretty as a pentrad, there may be a missing piece to McLuhan's laws of media. I propose that this piece would be called "restrains", and refer to the disadvantages or negative effects of any new technology.
What do you think? I haven't studied this topic to the point of being anywhere near having the right to modify anyone's theory! However, I can't think of a single technology that didn't bring drawbacks along with its advantages.
Lisa!
I support your thought 100%! I made a comment on it in my Mod 3 Post!
Koh
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