My interpreted definition of media ecology is technological evolution and how it plays a leading role in human affairs. Currently, according to McLuhan’s chart, there are four historical eras. Each era relates technology and the dominant sense receptor used during that time; our society in presently in the electronic age. Lost during the transition between the tribal and the age of literacy was “a deeper feeling of community and greater awareness of the surrounding existence.” Now, “electronic media are retribalizing the human race.” (And according to Microsoft Word retribalizing is a made up word) “We are now a global village.” A global village is “a worldwide electronic community where everyone knows everyone’s business.” Apple has present has present us with a “Faustian bargain” in the form of an IPhone during this current age. I believe the IPhone is the leading the communication tool for the global village. It incorporates almost every sense of perception. You have the option of texting or calling someone, going on the internet, and probably of things too. (Sadly, I don’t have one.) Now, looking at such an advanced piece of technology I wonder, what are the future possibilities of an IPhone; maybe, ILife? Will this new technology create more than it destroys or the other way around? New technology is sometime overwhelming and scary in my eyes.
The video clip below is the predict future of cell phones and how more integrated they will me in our life and how we communicate with others. I can see this making our global village even closer.
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I agree with the last thing Devon said about being scared and overwhelmed by the devlopment of new technologies. I see a lot of movies I consider myself to be an expert on them, I've seen to many movies where a society or in this posts case a "global village" creates a technology to make our life easier and newtwork it with out everyday technology, and then that technology takes over and whipes out everything. Artifical Intelligence and computers that think on their on are scary you design somthing with safeguards but theres no telling what can happen.
ReplyDeleteI think that what Devon tapped into here is dead on, and again scary to think about. Again I see the reference to the global village and the fact that everyone is in your buisness, but this goes a step further as if to say not only are you an open book to other people via new media, but there is the possibility in the future of your own media devices knowing you better than yourself, making all of your decisions for you. I don't know that McLuhan covered this, well actually maybe he did when we said we have to take the reigns over new media, to be in control so to speak, because if not we could just lose that grip slowly out of the joys of convenience, but i hope not to the point where people don't think for themselves anymore. Or do they? In my opinion media is so constant and present now that I think a part of us doesn't think for ourselves anymore, i'll speak for myself, I think part of me is so influenced by media that I have to really concentrate to decipher when Im making up my own mind or not, this is a little off track, but McLuhan would see people that potentially let new medai run amok,as having their head in the sand. I hope we don't have our head in the sand about something as seemingly small as the cell phone.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to look at how this “retribalizing” affects our way of life and how this creation of a “global village” really compares to the community of the past. While there are aspects of community that transcend this change in technological times, it is apparent that much of this connection to the people around us is completely different. The real question is whether this change is, in the long-term, good or bad. I think McLuhan would have been skeptical of the ways in which media technologies control the lives of people now. While communication channels are being created, real life, face-to-face communication is becoming a thing of the past. There is a certain level of understanding of human emotion and feeling that is only present in real life situations. Therefore the messages we receive, through our mediated world, are always altered in some way by the medium itself. Because we are surrounded by so many mediums, the affects on us are many. Where will this take us in 10 years? How about 20?
ReplyDeleteIt's really become scary how the technology we use allows us to reach information anywhere, at anytime, in the palm of your hand with such a phone like an Iphone. You can call, listen to music, watch movies, text, email, chat, play games, use GPS, yellowpages,musicID etc. and go online to actual websites on that Iphone that fits in your palm. It's scary how much power you hold in your hand just by having the Iphone. And what we don't notice yet is how that power is taking over us and that particular power only doubles to the advantage every 18-24 months. So technology only gets better and better.
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