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
I agree…Facebook has indeed changed the landscape and ways in which people interact with news on the fly…well almost. Before I deactivated my FB account, I really appreciated the events and news people were sharing and posting. I felt the news was conveniently brought to me, rather than me seeking the news in other media formats. You’re right about the political piece too…I have noticed the surge in Aboriginal content, concerns, and truths on social media. I must say, it’s great to see! While the media as we know it continues to evolve, I’m very curious to see where all roads lead to on the digital plane for Aboriginal Peoples’ across Turtle Island.
Thanks for such a thought-provoking post! As a settler Canadian, I remember the initial Idle No More discussions on Facebook and other social media streams. It was exciting. What I remember most distinctly was as the movement received more and more mainstream media coverage, more voices were added to social media — voices that I hadn’t seen engaging with these issues at all before. At the very least more people were venturing to make their voices and opinions heard.
“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.”
This is a beautifully phrased point that really resonated with me. It’s something I wonder about a lot. And especially when thinking about joining the “social” discussion about social issues. Has social media become almost an ethical tool now? And how do we change when we are outside, in the real world, with our smartphones, with our media-makers. How do we change now that we’re enabled to make change?
Hey Nicole, I appreciate your perspective in identifying the fact that you can no longer ignore the social issues that face Indigenous peoples. I hadn’t thought about Facebook’s impact in that way, or rather I have just kind of let it stream through without recognizing that I am forced to think about all these issues every time I open up my Facebook account (which is a little embarrassing to admit how often that is!). I’m with you, I don’t want to ignore what needs to be addressed. A friend of mine who lives in a small town in the interior of BC often feels like she is missing out by not being on Facebook. Up until now I have told her that she isn’t missing much other than being distracted from what ever it is that she is procrastinating…I’m thinking about it different through your perspective.
This is a well-articulated post and I appreciate your thoughts on the tensions between online action and offline action — thoughts you have brought up both in class and in this post. McLuhan acknowledges how activism and awareness changes in the electronic media, but what is left to understand is the relationship between social media activism and activism in the real world. Many people are making those connections and using both mediums to enhance movements — and as you say Idle No More is a great example. But it is indeed something we all need to consider as we voice our opinions online and connect them to our messages we convey in the physical world too. Thank you for your thoughts!
Awesome job, Nicole!!
I had a hard time reading this book and understanding it. The way you related that specific passage made understand it way better as a whole. You made me understand this reading on a more personal level, how the media is shaping my life every day. I even went back to my Facebook to see what kinds of things I am posting and commenting on. (My Facebook’s becoming a lot more political too).