Everyday we receive messages through various mediums, but often we devote all our attention to the contents and see pass the mediums. This article points out that even without the intended contents mediums still have a profound influence to our acts and mind sets, that mediums has messages in themselves (or, as the author put it, “The medium is the Message”).
I can see how that is true. Our minds are shaped by the mediums we use, because mediums shape the way informations are presented to us, and thus controlling how we perceive the messages. Different mediums require different skill to use. For example, the social media everybody use now trained us to be able to process large amounts of information in a short time, and made our brains used to jumping between totally different topics. Apparently there are also downsides of this new media, such as the lose of concentration and inter-personal abilities. But we can see that the medium itself is changing how people are, and it has nothing to do with its content.
I am glad to see that you quoted some examples around us in your article and pointed out many harms brought to us by media. At present, most people believe that machines, media and Internet have adverse effects on human development. But few people sum up the benefits of media to human development. Does it help us in human development?
Of course! I totally agree that the internet and overall development of technology have given us lots of benefits. We have a much faster communication system, a more equal platform for everyone, and the largest amount of free information the world has ever seen. The technologies are also regenerating at a speed unimaginable before thanks to the share of information through internet. My intention of pointing out the disadvantages of overusing internet is just as a reminder of myself. The world is new and full of energy because of the new things that keep popping out, and it is a welcoming sight.