VISU1311: Blog #7

Medium is the message

The meaning behind Medium is the Message is told by text and by audio. The way in which the meaning is explained is confusing and strange in both the text and audio. I enjoyed listening to the audio portion, even though at times it was hard to follow, and I learned new ideas from listening. The basic summary of Medium is the Message is that as the times change and new technologies arise, those new technologies completely change the ways of humans and their surroundings. In the audio each technology is presented in chronological order of their invention. Beginning with the goose quill then the printing press and finally electronic circuitry or computers/internet. Each of these new inventions is also new mediums that humans can use for self-expression or creating. The quill jumpstarted the building of great civilizations and culture by enabling humans to write down words to be physically seen. The printing press extended the writing humans’ got from the quill and allowed for people to become isolated and the ability to read in privacy. Finally the electronic circuitry of today has changed our world to be fast, threatening to privacy, and a global village. Because of computers and the Internet, we as human beings are responsible for each other and we also know more about each other than ever before. Each one of these mediums changed the way in which humans communicate their ideas and how those ideas are received. However, the ideas that are communicated are not as important as the medium in which they are communicated. This audio and text made me realize that the medium in which I present my ideas is just as important as the ideas I want to present in my work. The mediums force us as a human race to adapt to them and when we refuse to adapt then we become outdated and thus useless. I thought it was interesting what was said about the young people of today and how they process information on a large scale. I think this is very true, that my generation has been forced to adapt themselves to the ways of the Internet and share their messages and lives online. This entire audio experience was very interesting and educational. It was like a history class except very strange in its delivery. The various references to Alice in Wonderland were, now that I look back, very fitting for the message. With each new medium, human society falls down the rabbit hole into a new wonderland.