McLuhan's Understanding of Media

Much as I often find Marshall McLuhan's bombastic writing style a little too much for his relatively simple thesis, I have to admit that I find his content especially relevant today. He has been called something of a prophet, and I do think there is something of that in Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. I don't think our current situation is due to a mastering of McLuhan's message, however; I think it more due to the gradual lessening of any sort of real importance of the message. The medium has become king, but only because we've appointed it so, not because the message abdicated. 


No-one cares what is said these days - what matters is how you say it. Was it a tweet, a Facebook post, an email or a letter? The mere medium of communication says more about what you're trying to say than your use of plain old nouns and verbs. What I do question is McLuhan's sense that technology is bringing us into his 'global village'. In terms of ease of communication, perhaps he's right. But I don't believe we have today the sense of community that I think he dreamt of. The Internet is anonymous, bland and filled with opportunity for unfortunate events. We have yet to escape the Age of Anxiety, because what should have ended all fears has only spread new ones. 

What's On the Radio

When we all applied to come here, there was a lot of talk about the strong sense of community, and in a certain sense that's true. The student body of only around three hundred know all their fellow peers perhaps a little too well, but the same can't be said of the students and the faculty. Although obviously most pupils know their teachers and vice versa, as would be expected of somewhere with classes that max out at a fifteen to one ratio, most students don't know professors who haven't taught them - and not only do they not know them, they don't know anything about them.

I propose a show on the radio consisting primarily of an interview with a faculty member. Most every teacher here has an intriguing backstory, and the question of what they're doing here in Abu Dhabi is often enough to provoke an interesting conversation. This, interspersed with perhaps a few of their favourite tracks, would surely be enough to hold the student body's attention. To make the show even more relevant, the interviewees would be selected according to the university's current schedule - a faculty member putting on a play would be interviewed the week after, or a teacher setting up a new class could discuss their plans on air. 

In addition to the interviewer, there would also be the opportunity for listeners to (Skype) call in and ask the faculty members a question or two of their own. This could range from the banal to the thought-provoking, of course, and even from the trivial to the academic. Help with an algebra problem, or perhaps just wondering where to get the best chocolate in Paris? Most faculty members can answer just about anything, and this show would be the chance to put that to the test. Perhaps the show could even lead towards some sort of quiz show - faculty against faculty, with the winner returning the next week to maintain the crown. 

Remembering the Radio

I actually listened to a radio show not that long ago. It was at home, in England, on BBC Radio 4. I listened to Desert Island Discs, with the comedian Michael McIntyre telling interviewer Kirsty Young about the eight songs he would take with his to a desert island. The program is something of a British institution - for something of an American perspective on the phenomenon, The New Yorker ran a profile about it here: http://jsexhu.gs/2o


I have to admit, it's not something that I listen to on a regular basis. But I was at home, and my parents tend to enjoy it - so there I was, listening to the radio. Though it was hardly that traditional. We were listening to it on our shiny iMac, with the program streaming off BBC iPlayer, their online service. I think it was streaming live, but it might have just been from earlier in the day. I suppose it's actually rather typical of the show itself - continually updating, but the essentials remain the same. 



No More Talking

On my mobile phone, at least. If I had to give up either S.M.S. or voice calls on my mobile, it would definitely be the latter. This isn't even just because I can always use a landline or Skype as an alternative - though that does play its part - in fact, I could even use applications like WhatsApp on my iPhone instead of texting if I really wanted. Instead, I just find the process of texting often easier and more convenient than calling. It sends a written record of information, it isn't always instantaneous and thereby allows deliberation and consideration, and it is often just point-blank less awkward than calling someone to check what the homework is that evening. A phone conversation still carries with it the social requisites of politeness and general enquiries into well-being. A text message is simple and quick. A phone conversation is just a conversation over a distance - a text is a text is a text. At the end of the day, S.M.S. is here to stay.