The evolution of media.

The evolution of media.

Ever since Prometheus made his way back from mount Olympus man has been on a desperate quest to further understand and control the world around him.

Despite whether you had come to acknowledge it or not; all technology is an attempt by man to externalise the physical body, every encounter and interaction with a machine or any given piece of technology is in fact an interaction with an amplified version of something you are already capable of doing. In this sense all media is an extension of mans ability to communicate. From the gestural prodding and poking of primitive hominids, up through spoken word, into symbolic language leading to the phonetic alphabet and then off into the realms of digital code used in computer systems.

Everything from our houses and clothing to money and weaponry can be considered a form of media. Subtle as they may be they allow us to interact with the larger social body; to communicate. Since this all began man hasn't allowed himself a chance to pause and reflect on all of his extensions. We feel compelled to evolve ourselves outward into the physical world, consciously or subconsciously, ever extending the parameters of man's will.

Beginning with written word I would like for this thread to explore and identify media types and the effects found to obtain when these specific forms of media are implemented into any given society. Can we ever truly understand what we're doing whilst we're doing it or must we always drive into the future using a rear view mirror?

To some Westeners the written word has become a very touchy subject. It is true that more material is written, printed and read today than ever before, but there is also a new electronic technology that threatens this ancient technology of literacy built on the phonetic alphabet. Because of its action in extending our central nervous systems, electronic technology seems to favour the inclusive and participational spoken word over the specialist written word. Our western values built on the written word, have already been considerably affected by the electric media of telephone, radio and television. Perhaps this is the reason why many highly literate people in our time find it difficult to examine this question without getting into a moral panic. There is further the circumstance that, during his more than two thousand years of literacy, Western man has done little to study or to understand the effects of the phonetic alphabet in creating many of his basic patterns of culture. To begin now to examine the question may, therefore, seem to late.

- Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media, 1964

I look forward to your input.

Remain Vigilant.

Ah! A deeply fascinating topic, and one that comes to light [thanks for pointing me to it] while I have been considering the general subject material as it relates to the potentials of the next ten years.

When information became portable - and exportable - via the phonetic alphabet humanity was unleashed from absolute dependence on verbally handing down hard won knowledge and expertise.

The printing press democratized information in that the ability to possess, study, and absorb someone else's knowledge and/or opinions became affordable to more than just the ultra rich or religious cabals. The printing press played a central role in the formation of America as "America the ideal".

We stand at the precipice of a time when knowledge will be able to be directly input into our brains, arguably a time when the phonetic alphabet as a means of information democratization, dissemination, transporting, exporting, and that all important for human advancement - amplification - might well become a "quaint concept."

"The printing press democratized information in that the ability to possess, study, and absorb someone else's knowledge and/or opinions became affordable to more than just the ultra rich or religious cabals."

Or, looking at it another way...the printing press gave the ultra rich and religious cabals the ability to pump the masses with propaganda and useless drivel. In a nutshell, this has been the EVILution of Media.

reply to post by SphinxMontreal


Goodness! I'm distressed to read someone view "the democratization of information" as evil.

Of course, there have been bad or unpleasant consequences of a literate population. Or, taking the phonetic alphabet back to its beginnings, in someone being able to not only express his/her displeasure with clan leadership or direction, but to also be able to articulate reasons why. Articulate in a very literal sense. Beats the heck out of gesticulating whatever the prehistoric equivalent of "the finger" would have been.

Besides, I like being able to inform myself. I not only like it, I like myself more as a consequence. I not only have an understanding of all manner of things but I have an understanding, at least in a general sense, of my *place* within a wider culture, a wider community, a wider world, and even in my mental construct, my place in the wider universe. I can have that understanding all because of language and the phonetic alphabet.

I suppose ignorance will have its adherents in any culture. I suppose I've found one such here at ATS :0

Edit. Post duped for some reason.

[edit on 12/6/10 by Geeky_Bubbe]

reply to post by SphinxMontreal


It would seem this is a process that can only be meagerly directed by the ruling class and religious cabals, like all societies with new technologies we know not what we are doing and as media becomes more electronically autonomous it will be out of the hands of even the highest members of society.

Media is not a tool created by man to control man, it is merely a side effect of an even larger natural process of self realization. One that i sincerely hope humanity gets the chance to fully achieve.

Remain Vigilant

Grammatical edit

[edit on 21/05/2010 by bonsaisert]