Media Ecology - Devon Farrell

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.

Losing our sense of touch

“It's the sense of touch. In any real city, you walk, you know? You brush past people, people bump into you. In L.A., nobody touches you. We're always behind this metal and glass. I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something”. That was a quote from the movie Crash that I thought would fit nicely into my discussion, Crash had to do with race and racism but I think it also fits in here Throughout time technology has gotten better and more advanced and without it our society would probably be lost, just imagine: no texting, no satellite TV, or internet. Those are 3 things that are in mostly everyone’s daily lives, I know there in mine and if they weren’t who know what I would be doing. McLuhan's places us in the digital age, which in a sense is getting us away from the stuff we used to do like talk on the phone, some people who are far away from each other can go on dates over the internet through little Avatar characters. There’s a whole website a found dedicated to that sort of thing. Back in the “old days” maybe 10 years ago when you had to ask a girl out on a date over the phone or in person, you can do through an instant message, email, or text message. Instead of playing video games like XBOX360 or PS3 over a friend’s house or in the same room we can do it from our houses, or thousands of miles away through online gaming. I think it makes us a little bit less human in a way. . The clip I chose to show was actually a movie trailer for the film Eagle Eye starring Shia Labeouf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFrSFoHWKM8


I thought this movie was a great example of the mad side of Media Ecology, and technological advances in our society. It shows that the technology we use every day and trust can be a bad thing. It can be turned against you. Imagine you cell phones, computer, satellites, things we use in everyday life our used to track you down. It’s like a Big Brother type thing. I’m not saying this is a realistic thing that can actually happen in present day today. But the farther we get away from touch, the more real I think it can become. I’ve seen the movie I don’t want to ruin the ending for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet so I’ll just leave you guys with that.