Technologies as Extensions of Human Senses, Abilities, and World Views

Primary Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

1. Primary Sensory Extension?

2. Secondary Sensory Extension?

3. Change in Worldviews?

4. Change in Abilities?

Technologies as Extensions of Human Senses, Abilities, and World Views

Primary Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

1. Primary Sensory Extension?

2. Secondary Sensory Extension?

3. Change in Worldviews?

4. Change in Abilities?

Technologies as Extensions of Human Senses, Abilities, and World Views

Primary Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

1. Primary Sensory Extension?

2. Secondary Sensory Extension?

3. Change in Worldviews?

4. Change in Abilities?

Technologies as Extensions of Human Senses, Abilities, and World Views

Primary Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

1. Primary Sensory Extension?

2. Secondary Sensory Extension?

3. Change in Worldviews?

4. Change in Abilities?

Technologies as Extensions of Human Senses, Abilities, and World Views

Primary Senses: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, Touch

1. Primary Sensory Extension?

2. Secondary Sensory Extension?

3. Change in Worldviews?

4. Change in Abilities?

NEIL POSTMAN &MARSHALL MCLUHAN

WRITERS - MEDIA THEORISTS - PROVOCATEURS

Amusing Ourselves to DeathThe Disappearance of Childhood

Understanding Media

Neil Postman Writer, Media-Social Critic, Educational Theorist Provocateur

Forerunner in the field of Media Anthropology/Sociology (Jaques Ellul, Marshall McLuhan, Harold Innis)

Established New York University’s Graduate Media Ecology Program

Postman's Central interests/focus:

1. The interactions between humans and their communication technologies

2. Paradigm shifts in human thought, culture, and media

3. How Our MEDIA & Our Technologies are REDEFINING HUMANITY

Author of over 20 Books + 200 Articles: Teaching as a Subversive Activity (1969)

"Bullshit and the Art of Crap-Detection“ (1969)

Conscientious Objections (1988)

The Disappearance of Childhood (1982)

Amusing Ourselves to Death (1985)

Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology (1992)

The End of Education: Redefining the Value of School (1995)

Marshall McLuhanThe Medium is the Message (1911-1980)

Writer, Media-Social Critic Provocateur

• Canadian Media and Cultural Theorist

• Harold Innis -- Media/Technology Structure Society

• Director of the Centre for Culture and Technology University of Toronto, Canada

BOOKS:

The Gutenberg Galaxy: The Making of Typographic Man (1962)

Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964)

War and Peace in the Global Village (1968)

The Global Village: Transformations in World Life and Media in the 21st Century (1989)

Key Idea:Media as ExtensionsMarshall McLuhan

Every media form (or technology) “EXTENDS” some aspect of the human SENSES.

It also PRIVILEGES that type of SENSORY PERCEPTION.

PRIMARY extension + (Secondary) extension

Changes Human abilities and WORLD VIEW

RE-SHAPES HUMANS as “tools” of the technology

Final RecommendationsMedia Representations

1. MAINSTREAM MEDIA Representations (of your issue)Typical presentations: TV, Movies, Ads, Music, etc.Stereotypical/formulaic/cliché Media FramingWhat’s missing?

2. RECENT EVENTS/NEWSBBC (World News outlet)YouTubeNetflix docsWashington Post (Amazon)NYTimesViceNPRHBOIssue based Magazines: The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harpers, etc.

3. Other: • Google Google Image• Social Media: FB, Instagram, SnapC, etc.

Turn in THURS2-Parts

1. Hard-copyPolished

Fully proofed/copy-edited

Stapled

2. DIGITAL COPYO drive class folder

Save file LAST NAME and Issue

Key Idea:Media as ExtensionsMarshall McLuhan

Every media form (or technology) “EXTENDS” some aspect of human perception.

It also PRIVILEGES that type of perception.

PRIMARY extension + (Secondary) extension

Telescope/microscope EYES + imagination/analysis

Camera EYES + memory

Headphones EARS/HEARING + imagined images, emotion

Print EYES + imagined images

Radio EARS + imagined images

Television EYES + EARS + memory + live/connection

Smartphone EYES + EARS + TACTILE + Memory +

Unpacking Media Bias The Medium is the MessageMarshall McLuhan

Media Bias =

What matters MOST is HOW a medium/technology STRUCTURES ALLCONTENT regardless of who you are, where you are, or what(content) you are trying to communicate.

Every media form (the actual TECHNOLOGY) DEMANDS us to use it in structured ways, including: (USER vs. PRODUCER)

1. SKILL(s) BIAS = A technology PRIORITIZES certain SKILLS or skillsets

• Deprioritizes/Devalues other skills

2. TIME BIAS = how long a medium (and what is communicated) LASTS over time

• TIME2 BIAS = how long a medium (and what is communicated) LASTS over time

3. SPACE BIAS = how a medium transmits information across space-geography

4. LOCATION BIAS = WHERE it is likely to be used?

5. ACCESS BIAS = Who has ACCESS (as users and creators)?

6. VALUE BIAS = Emphasizes certain cultural VALUES

The Medium is the Message!Marshall McLuhan

1. The Medium is the Message (Biases + Extensions)

2. TECHNOLOGIES are NOT NEUTRAL!• They are DESIGNED and ENGINEERED by humans (not neutral)

• with specific design values (not neutral) which are embedded w/in the design (not neutral)

• to be used by other humans in specific profitable ways (definitely not neutral)

• Media TECHNOLOGIES are ESPECIALLY NOT NEUTRAL

• Private media corporations (quarterly profit margins)

3. Media COMPETITION: • Media are in constant competition with one another for our

attentions and time

• The DOMINANT MEDIA FORM devalues other media forms.

CONNECTING: USER Interaction, Interface Design, and Visual User Experience

https://vimeo.com/52861634

Major arguments?