McLuhan’s Theory

“The medium is the message” (pg 22) — Marshall McLuhan uses this phrase to explain how people need to realize the larger effects on our culture and society.  He emphasizes how these changes in technology are all messages that have hidden meanings. McLuhan defines these messages as “…a change of scale or pace or pattern that introduces into human affairs” (pg 22).  Although these platforms have their advantages, they also have some disadvantages as well. Some positives would be that the web browsers and different platforms assist people in finding what they are looking for. For example, when you use Google as a search engine, it will help you find the answer to your problems, or at least guide you to the answer. McLuhan has a lot of good points throughout Applen’s text.

In “Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge,” J.D. Applen emphasizes the advancement of communication technology. He highlights how information is passed down faster and can reach any location on a variety of different platforms. This newer form of communicating is cool, but how long will it take for something to go wrong? In Applen’s piece, he mentions a few key factors discovered by different theorists.

According to McLuhan, he mentions how we failed to see something. McLuhan points out that the one thing that people failed to notice while advancing our communication systems is that it is changing a person’s culture. One thing that really stuck out to me was when he said “we created a new level of connectedness…but we have lost…our ability to be content with our own thoughts”(pg 22). This shows the benefit and the doubt of the newer communication devices. In addition, it also shows how just like everything else, even bigger things and bigger ideas have pros and cons.

Google’s search engine has grown tremendously over a long period of time. Applen states how “Google [has] changed our relationship not just the facts and information, but the process of reading” (pg 25). This can relate back to slang and new media technology. The way we use different search engines has changed the way we read and speak, especially nowadays. With newer slang being created, and even being put into the dictionary, it has changed the way the search engines think and changes the way people input information into the search engines.

Platforms

New platforms teach us new things. Platforms such as Google have different applications within the software. For example, Google has applications such as slides, sites, forms, docs, etc. Having these free features allows it to gain popularity which is why Google is the most used platform. Even with schools, colleges, and universities, every student is given a gmail account that allows them to have access to all of the applications Google has to offer. To me, this builds muscle memory in students so their brains get “trained” to just go straight to Google and not other platforms such as Bing, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo. Another good quote to support this claim would be “technologies help us grant easy access to facts or concepts [that] do not necessarily help us solve real and difficult problems” (pg 25).  This supports the claim made prior to where there are pros and cons to platforms, new media, and new technology and that it will not always lead you directly to the answer. A good example of this would be typing into Google’s search bar “how to tie a tie”. This will lead you straight to your answer providing a detailed description, videos, and images to walk you through the process” On the other hand, if you type into Google’s search bar “which political party should I root for?” it will try to guide you to the answer by providing mini tests that can help determine what side you should favor.

The basic form of a platform refers to an operating system and computer hardware application system. An example of this would be Apple, Windows, or Mac. Another type of platforms would be social media platforms. Different platforms provide a different way for businesses and people to interact through. This allows communication, transactions, and collaborations through these plethora of platforms. A digital platform allows individuals to provide images, audios, texts, etc and puts it all throughout the internet so everyone can have access to it. Just because you may have private accounts and private messages does not mean that everything is “private”.

Social Media Platforms and Technology Tools

Social media platforms also have a huge influence on people, mostly teenagers, and the people that are so-called “influencers” might not always be the best role model. People such as Kylie Jenner, Charli D’Ameilo, and Hailey Bieber are all very popular influencers, however, these are the people that are setting the beauty standards that others, such as young teenagers, look up to. This can lead to bullying, eating disorders, or even suicide. In my opinion, more influencers like Lizzo, Meghan Trainor, or Kelly Clarkson should have more voice in peoples’ lives. Although the three of them are all very big influencers, more people see Charli D’amielo and girls want to look like her instead of Lizzo. With more body positive influencers being posted and coming out in a way it will help everyone of all body types to love themselves for who they are and not what they want to be.

However, like mentioned before, there are bright sides to platforms, not just negatives. There are really good positive ways to use platforms in an academic way. For example, Kahoot, Google Classroom, StoryBird, etc, are all great technology tools for academic purposes. Technology tools, especially nowadays, are all good ways to enforce the use of a variety of platforms. This enforces good communication between teachers and families. This also promotes positive, engaging, and fun learning environments in the classroom for students. Platforms such as ClassDojo is a great example of this. It allows each student to express themselves creatively by creating their own monster avatar, promotes their positive behavior by giving them points that they can earn, and allows their parents/guardians to be able to keep track of their child’s progress during class and see where they may need to improve.

Overall Summary

To wrap things up, McLuhan had strong viewpoints on platforms and the hidden meanings that lie within the internet and different platforms. He believed that people should take a deeper look into what they are getting themselves into. A good example of this would be, as mentioned prior, social media. People, especially young kids, do not really understand the whole concept of putting in private information and giving it to your cell phone. This can lead to multiple different situations if not monitored correctly. Platforms have good and bad things that come with it, and if used properly, it can work wonders. You can use platforms appropriately in places such as schools, business meetings, companies, etc. This would be an effective way to promote the use of certain platforms. As technology continues to advance, it is hard to tell what kind of new platforms and devices will come out in the near future. There might be new ways to keep your information safe, as well as newer technology tools online to help students better their education whether it be for elementary schools or even colleges and universities. To tie things up, it is up to you to find the “message” that McLuhan was mentioning before, and try to understand the effects that it has on people and to not let that determine or change your view on culture and society.