This week’s reading focuses on how technology and media have impacted the world and society. In Chapter 1, ‘The Medium is The Message’ Marshall McLuhan speaks about how technology has changed how we interact and connect with others. McLuhan expresses how technology has divided us. The way we interact with one another has definitely changed, technology has become such a dominant aspect of our daily lives. McLuhan says “the medium is the message” which is how we use it, and communicate. It is the “personal and social consequences” as McLuhan states. He expresses that “any extension of ourselves—results from the new scale that is introduced into our affairs by each extension of ourselves, or by any new technology”. In other words, technology has become a part of us, through various social media we learn, connect, share our thoughts, and meet new people. Reading down more in the passage McLuhan made me realize how technology has not only changed how we do things but also how we rely heavily on it. It has been transmitted beyond us and passed our limits. 

Everything is now documented on social media, we as individuals can’t go a day without phones or the internet. Many of us use emoticons and gifs to express our feelings and depend on social media to share our opinions. McLuhan used many different views to support his claims. I kind of got confused but I tried my best to grasp what he was saying. In Chapter 7, ‘The Nemesis of Creativity’ the first thing that came to mind was how technology has hindered our creative process. Due to the fact that many people go straight to a tablet, or laptop to start a design. Sketching on paper is often skipped. The use of technology has been integrated more and more into what we create. 

The traditional way of creating art is slowly diminishing, as time progresses art continues to be created digitally. However, McLuhan conveys how the artist controls the technology, technology does not control the artist. The people have the power to control technology and creativity. Technology should be seen and used as an asset. We determine how far we want technology to impact our design and work. Technology has its pros and cons to it, in the sense that it has broken down barriers and made it easier to connect. However, its downfall is how much we allow it to dictate our lives. I think this is McLuhan’s main idea and what he intended readers to take away from his readings. We, as creators, have the power to control how much of an impact technology influences our ideas, opinions, and creativity. Â