Digital McLuhan

Questions for the article “Digital McLuhan”

1.     What are the differences between the pre-literate acoustic world and the alphabetical visual world? How does the media of television become a part of the acoustic world?

According to the article, those who lived in the acoustic world, before the invention of the alphabet and written language, experienced life completely differently, and largely based on what they could here (hence, acoustic). They were completely consumed by the oral stories they told, the myths passed down, and the everyday events that they experienced. In the alphabetical world, a frame of reference for life experience and sharing those experiences are written down and shared. Life is no longer an immersion of the visual, and for those that can read written language, one’s reliance on the senses is no longer as crucial. The media of television is a part of the acoustic world because, according to the article, the same media and images can be seen on television nationwide, especially considering the modern convenience of cable.

2.    Why does the alphabet have the segregating tendencies? How exactly does the printing press reverse the segregating tendencies?

From the very beginnings of written language, the alphabet was only beneficial to those that were literate. Written words also were only available to one person at a time, as reproducing copies of a particular work took years, segregating the literate, wealthy people who were able to obtain written language, from those who were illiterate and too poor to afford the written works. The printing press reverses this segregation by making written alphabetic works widely available in mass quantities. The printing press made reading more accessible to the everyday person and less exclusive.

3.    How does the alphabetic communication in online communication make cyberspace acoustic? How is the online acoustic world different from the television, radio, or print acoustic world?

Cyberspace and the online world combine different aspects of both the alphabetic and acoustic worlds. The alphabetic aspect of user-generated content is extremely prevalent. Any person with an Internet connection can type and post whatever he or she wants, for millions of people worldwide to see and read. With this large amount of control in the hands of the user, the alphabet is a necessary component. In terms of the acoustic world, the Internet demands the user’s undivided attention. The media displayed on the monitor consumes the user, and, of course, the experience involves the visual and auditory sense. The online world differs from other acoustic worlds in this way. The user does not necessary immerse him or herself into the radio or television, as they can be considered casual tasks that do not demand such commitment to their media as cyberspace does.

 4. Not only do we invent media and media technologies but also we select their uses in different contexts. What are the two selection criteria? According to the selection criteria, please discuss what will happen to our online communication in 20 years.

            The two selection criteria that were stated in the article are, “we want the media to extend our communications beyond the biological boundaries of naked seeing and hearing” (52), meaning that, as a society, we want our messages to travel as far as possible, and for us to be able to receive media from any given place at any given time. The second criteria is, “we want media to recapture elements of that biological communication which early artificial extensions may have lost” (52). This explains that our manner of communication still has to contain some of the same elements that it did at its origin. As a society, we would like to expand our means of communication, but at the same time, remain accessible and familiar in our methods. Online communication in twenty years will contain new devices in which society can access information and messages, as technology is constantly evolving. However, the manner in which we communicate will ultimately rely on visual and auditory senses. Our ability to read and see and listen and respond will never go away.