Mans Relationships with Technology:An Analysis of Marshall McLuhans "Understanding Media. The Extensions of Man"

Academic Paper from the year 2019 in the subject Literature - Canada, grade: A, language: English, abstract: Originally published in 1964, Marshall McLuhans examination of the media and the implication of it for the future at best can be considered ahead of its time. The book, which examines how language, technology and speech shape human behaviour, demonstrated an accurate understanding of the emergent mass media and its potential. The tenements of the authors thesis continue to remain steadfast as the conventional forms of mass media have transformed in the more connected "New Media" that is outlined by authors like Richard Davis and Diana Owen. While a general understanding of the work can be facilitated by a cursory examination of the text, there is such a wealth of information present that critical thinking for analysis would necessitate breaking down the book into more thematic divisions. As the first and perhaps most poignant dimension for understanding McLuhan, "The Medium is the Message" is a logical place to start. Understanding that the medium is, in fact, the message is not only a departure from the conventional understanding of innovation but the primary foundation on which all of the authors perspectives are established.