In Understanding Media, Marshall McLuhan describes technology and media as “extensions of man” which means that media is a helpful tool in man’s life. Media and technology had made huge impacts in humans and the world. McLuhan says that the way we acquire information affect us more than the information itself. Medium insert itself in the message, creating a symbiotic relationship in which the medium influences how the message is perceived. He says that the extension of ourselves, or the medium, shapes our associations and our actions. We create technologies to construct new media that improve and reshape our lives, and in turn we are then able to create even more sophisticated technology. He argues that we need to be able to create content so we may continue to hone our digital literacy. For example, books and articles communicate messages much differently than radio or television as well as emails or letters communicate messages much differently than if that message was communicated orally. McLuhan also recognized that not only does the medium shape the message but in turn that medium also shapes us as human beings. He describes technology and media as extensions of some physical, social, psychological, or intellectual function of humans.
Technological progress brings individuals and society to the electric age. This age create hazards in which people may get affected badl The automation of technology could turn human jobs downwards, fragmentations are the elements which are essential for machine technologies, and how it would influence our life. Technology is an impact, to blindly that accepting these technologies without awareness, opens the door for them to control us or even oppress us. The forms of receiving and communicating messages to one another has evolved and it is not to say that technology itself is the problem because it is fine to use it, if we have control on it. It’s more on how we use it and for what purposes we use it.
Marshall McLuhan on his book said “The medium is the message” which talks about the meaning of the content which is defined as a medium. The way we acquire information affect us more than the information itself. Medium is the “message” refers to the message or treatment of our senses. He urges us to take control of the medium and not let it control us and to implement our ability to produce content through the increase intake by media ( television, print advertisements, newspapers) which throughout the years has been growing. He also states that “Nothing follows from following, except change.” Which means that, change is always going to happen. This is especially true in our culture today, due to that fact that following is now the norm. He also says that there are no original thoughts or principles. Instead, there are simply pieces from the original as designers we mainly recreate designs but others want to go beyond than that and create something new that will impact the industry. As designers we work with technological software that help us design and we act as the ones that technology is controlling but there are also the ones who decide to take a piece of paper and a pencil and start to create with their own hands as what MacLuhan is trying to say that we have to control technology and not let technology control us. The aim is on us to be lifelong learners, for our own enrichment as well as to be competitive in today’s digital workforce.
