We live in a world that is so technologically based that it is important to understand the bigger picture of media and the effects it has on our culture. One of the biggest downfalls for me is the addiction we fall into by using our phones. I miss living in a time when there was more socialization happening and less phone interaction happening. Many of us are guilty of having bad communication skills due to technology. I always say I wish I could’ve been born in the same time as my grandparents. We have become so caught up in everything going on in our peoples’ lives by following through social media platforms. It truly for me becomes a disgrace when my phone notifies me that I somehow spent 7 to 8 hours on it throughout my day. I can’t even imagine how much more I would be able to accomplish if I didn’t use my phone. More importantly, how much of real life am I missing because I’m looking down at my phone.
How is technology effecting our culture?
McLuhan believed that new technology’s significance extends beyond immediate use to wider social effects. It’s not just about what it does but the deeper shifts it brings in our perceptions, interactions, and way of life. Consider the introduction of the internet, for example. On the surface, it makes information accessible and communication easier. However, its deeper effects are far-reaching, affecting our social connections’ size, our communication rate, and the ways in which we obtain and absorb information.
In the article, the author states, ” What we fail to notice, or perhaps do not notice at the time of new technology’s interception, is that eventually it has other effects on our culture, and this is the “message” that McLuhan refers to: “the “message” of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs.” (McLuhan, pg 22)
How is technology effecting our privacy?
It’s important to acknowledge how simply handing our phone number out to someone can become an invasion of privacy. I find it so interesting how McLuhan states, “the message that we have created a new level of connectedness with other people, that we are always connected, but we have lost our ability to be content with our own mind and thoughts or focused on other things.” (McLuhan, pg 23) I feel like this quote screams how far gone our society is. We have allowed others to invade our privacy and take our time. What message are we sending to others when we allow them onto our social platforms. I know for me there has been many times I’ve needed to take a break from social media. Multiple times have deleted the apps away to get a breath of fresh air and focus on important things in my life. In my past blog, I talk about keeping my privacy safe on social media.
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