Media And Communication Theory Analysis

In an age where various forms of media play an undeniably crucial role in the dissemination of information to citizens, it was the philosophical prophecies of Marshall McLuhan that prove to still be pertinent in today’s use of media. The present usage of such terms as “media”, “global village” as well as “Age of Information” were all coined by Marshall McLuhan in his 1965 work Understanding Media (Lapham, x). In the information age we currently live in, McLuhan’s contributions to media and communication theory are of great importance to understanding various facets of society and how we have evolved in such societies. Political scientist Stephen Brooks notes, “We rely on the images and information offered to us on television, in newspapers, …show more content…
As McLuhan noted on the advent of the printed word, “the visual modalities of Western life increased beyond anything experienced in any previous society” (Sanderson/Macdonald, 36). The advent of the Internet, and computer technology may very well have that same effect on our society in the Information Age. One highly interesting point of interest is there is very little to no gender gap in Internet usage. A recent report from eMarketer, an Internet, Business and Ecommerce statistics company notes, "For girls who have grown up with technology, there is no significant gender gap in internet usage”. The report goes on to mention, “The rise of activities that are particularly appealing to young females, such as social networking, will result in even greater usage” (CBC News). In order to translate the statistics above to actual participation in decision making processes as McLuhan suggests, one needs to discern whether or not these mediums such as social networking are being used in the hot or cool sense of Marshall McLuhan’s …show more content…
To view the Internet as a multimedia, where the aspects of hot media and cool media are combined, it becomes a tool and medium of collective interconnectedness, which when used for positive goals can be quite powerful. Such positive goals can be achieved on a global scale, within the global village McLuhan spoke of. As Fleras notes, “Progressive reforms such as an international treaty on banning landmines are the direct result of Internet canvassing” (Fleras, 266). Such an example shows the power of Internet communities and their affect on decision-making processes. If the global political system is anarchic by nature, the anarchic role of the Internet, in its present form, “diminishes the capacity of central authorities to act in a unilateral fashion” (Fleras, 267). As such, the Internet is crucial in the democratization of traditional hierarchical values, conceivably allowing for more participation in political