Where do we draw the line between media and reality?

McLuhan: It’s All Going According to Marshall’s Plan

                When it comes to the media, there is no avoiding it. The media has become a part of everyday life making it hard to remember the days in which the media did not play such a large role in relaying information. “The media explosion”—as predicted by Marshall McLuhan, a professor of literature—has taken away from reality. It has created an imaginary world in which we live in. This further suggests that if people do not separate themselves from the media, they will lose all possible aspects of reality. Marshall McLuhan—a “pop prophet and media visionary”—predicted the current media explosion in our world. He stated that this explosion “is not an isolated blast, but one in a series of detonations that will probably last through and beyond our lifetimes”. Although many people refuted his statements about the negative influence of the media, many of his “theories” seem to fit the second media generation. This media generation refers to that of video games and discs, cable and Qube—a cable system playing a pivotal role in the development of American cable. These developments have given Americans the ability to enter into another world; a world that some turn into reality.

                Marshall McLuhan developed a concept known as ‘perceptual numbing’ which is referred to as a “stubborn insensitivity to all but the most extreme experiences in life”. He used this concept to help explain how individuals dwell in the media environment. This dwelling and numbness is created by the ‘depth experience of media’. These depth experiences take individuals in and make them feel as if they are in another world. It gets to the inner most part of the individual and allows them to imagine that they are actually inside whatever they may be watching or playing. The depth experience of the media causes an individual to get lost within a video game, or in a show, and develop possible emotions towards the characters. Due to this, a blur between both reality of the world and entertainment occurs. As denoted by McLuhan, ‘The medium is the message,” simply meaning, the media content doesn’t matter. What really matters was the depth experience provided by the media content—how “cool” the medium was.  According to McLuhan, TV supplied the ultimate depth experience because it required the individual to help create the image. From this, the image becomes part of the individual—“an extension of man”. With the simple click of a button an individual can be caught up within electronic media, developing a reality separate from that of true reality.

                It was believed by McLuhan that the media explosion could have taken one of two routes of exposure. The explosion could have either benefited us—creating a utopian society—or provided extreme disadvantages. It is quite obvious that the media explosion has not provided the utopian society that McLuhan believed it once could have. McLuhan believed that the depth experience provided by the electronic media may have been able to reunite individuals, bringing all senses into play. However, this seems to be the complete opposite of what actually occurred. It may have brought individuals together in the “playing” world; however, it has torn them apart in reality of the world. The electronic media has provided individuals an outlet to create a world of their own. It does not allow us to “experience one another openly and completely”. This depth provided by the media has furthered the concept of perceptual numbing. With this numbing, individuals become less and less affected by information provided by the media and electronic media. It seems as if extravagant steps must take place in order to get the majority attention of the population in today’s world. However, the media has realized this trend, developing special effects and graphics that will help to attract individuals who appear to be “numb”. All of this information makes one question, when is this cycle ever going to stop? When are people going to realize that electronic media is separate from reality?

                Swiss novelist Mac Frisch states, ‘Technology is the knack for organizing the world so we don’t have to experience it”. I think this statement helps to exemplify how much technology has altered the current world. No longer do people need to face the troubles of reality, they can escape through some sort of electronic media, or only pay attention to the information provided by the particular technology. It seems as if individual thought is fading, and technology and the media are taking over. We no longer have “first-hand experiences” because of the media. The world of communications has become that of second nature to human beings—causing the creation of “unreality”. Development of cameras and camcorders has also created this sense of “unreality”. These developments in technology and electronic media have transferred the ability to fantasize and imagine with our brains to electronic machines. These machines are taking over and causing an “atrophy” of our human capacity to think on our own. The medium is there to take one away from their conscious mind and enter into an alternate world.

                Media literacy—a reflecting technique—is something that should be developed in order to keep individuals reality separate from that of electronic media. It will allow individuals to disengage themselves as for media to no longer be considered “an extension of man”. There are many ways that this can occur and seems quite crucial for the younger population. Children should constantly be reminded that the shows they are viewing on TV are not real life. The characters are actors, the plots are made up and the special effects are just provided to grab ones attention. Also, they should be notified of the difference between entertainment and advertisement. Providing children with this concept will allow them to abstain from creating a reality separate of that of true reality. If children are not supplied with this information they may easily be taken in by the media. It is important to also recognize adults. Adults are not free from the manipulation of the media. They can also utilize these reflecting techniques by imposing critical reflections upon commercial TV. In doing so, they are allowed to formulate their own opinions—those not provided by the media. These techniques are important to prevent the loss of “first-hand experiences”. If the media takes over too much, reality will be twisted into a completely incomprehensible concept.