Medium is the Massage

“The medium, or process, of our time-electric technology- is reshaping and restructuring patterns of social interdependence and every aspect of our personal life. It is forcing us to reconsider and reevaluate practically every thought, every action, and every institution formerly taken for granted. Everything is changing-you, your family, your neighborhood, your education, your job, your government, your relationship to “the others”. And they’re changing dramatically.”

Marshall McLuhan – The Medium is The Massage P.8

This passage speaks volumes considering that it was written in 1967. McLuhan was definitely ahead of his time and it translates the way technology affects us currently in the year 2015. Everyday there is evolution in technology but the one that directly affects me would be the social media of Facebook.

I remember a time (not that long ago in human years, but in technology years, it was like forever ago) Facebook was being used as a social site for connecting with family & friends. Slowly over time the way people used Facebook began to change when people came to realize the power of the social site that could be used to transfer knowledge in a fast convenient way. Information sharing was the new post and this was done in a variety of ways, through facts, images, warnings and hot links to more helpful websites. Don’t get me wrong Facebook is still used a social site but it depends on your social network of friends and of course their interests. I can only share what my wall looks like, and every day it is becoming more political.

I began to take notice, the changes on my newsfeed wall when the movement of “Idle No More” was taking malls by surprise. Flash mobs were recorded across Turtle Island and it was empowering to witness it through my social media. My friends were organizing and taking the holiday by storm, forcing Canadians to stop and think about Indigenous matters. Images streamed across my newsfeed and I began to become more aware of the issues at large that were affecting Indigenous peoples and fellow Canadians. This made me stop, and think and I had to decide what was my part was in all of this and how I was going to participate. It happened so fast and it was overwhelming and inspiring at the same time. I was involved and aware of the issues even if I didn’t want to be a part of it. There was no avoiding it and it was everywhere, media, social media, my community and even in my school. The Idle no more movement became a revolution so quickly simply because of cellphones. The cellphone was able to capture the raw footage and share it with the world.

I now cannot pretend I am not aware of the many issues we face daily as Indigenous peoples, MMIW, Enbridge, funding cuts, protests, court rulings and currently the biggest issue is the up coming election. I simply cannot glance over my newsfeed without thinking of the environment, my children’s future or pretend the daily news of missing women across Canada do not affect me, it does. I am fully aware and because of the way my social media is used by my network of friends, I also have to decide how I am going to participate in this virtual world. But I must remember it is a virtual world….I can simply turn it off and go outside. I can participate in the real world and I still use my cell phone to share it with my social network if I chose to.

McLuhan predicted it on the nose, the new technology was going to change everything dramatically and it has…but it makes you wonder how much more it can change our future…..it won’t be too long before we find that out because we now know how fast technology can change our lives.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/duncan-mccue-the-cultural-importance-of-idle-no-more-1.1314572