~January 12, 2022~
Marshal McLuhan is the grandfather of media, inventing the whole idea. The idea behind one of his most famous quotes, "The Medium is the Message," explains how the tools used now have the power to change society for the good and bad.
If we look at McLuhan's tetrad, there are four consequences when introducing a new tool for people to use. The new device has the power to enhance everyday living, make previous tools obsolete, use components from the obsolete tool, and do bad things (unintended consequence). For example, if one looks at the invention of the cellphone, it enhanced communication and gave everyone access to information. It also made landline phones, cameras, clocks, calculators, and libraries obsolete. However, once the cellphone has finally reached its full potential, the unintended consequences are addiction, early childhood depression from social media, and cyberbullying. There is no doubt that change and innovation have the power to disrupt the status quo, making everyone uncomfortable because of the unknown consequences that everyone must eventually face. However, change and innovation can also change the world for the better, improving people's lives, and is also necessary for human evolution. Besides, we are all stubborn and will adapt to any rough situation.
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