McLuhan's Tetrad
Abstract:
Marshall McLuhan and his son Eric developed a pedagogical tool in order to analyze media and technology. The tetrad pictured below, shows the simultaneous advent of any technology.
For McLuhan, the “tetrad is a means of examining the effects on society of any technology/medium…by dividing its effects into four categories and displaying them simultaneously” (Wikipedia, 2013).
Treatment:
The four categorical questions are:
1. What does the medium enhance?
2. What does the medium make obsolete?
3. What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
4. What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes? (Wikipedia, 2013).
In order for us to demonstrate and see how powerful MuLuhan’s tool for analyzing the effects of media and technology; let us turn our attention to the creation of a hologram combined with a phone.
Conclusion:
The tetrad’s power lies in its ability to probe and processes the effects of media and technology with any given society. For McLuhan, any tool is an extension of our senses. Therefore, we shape and make our tools in our own image. And in turn, the tools that we use shape us (McLuhan, 1969).
Sources:
Bennett, S. (n.d.). Tetrad examples. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/staff/scottbennett/media/examples.html
Dimitri. (2008). McLuhan/laws of media. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://deoxy.org/media/McLuhan/LawsOfMedia
Invisiblechildreninc. (2012). Kony 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
Norden, E. (1969). The playboy interview: marshall mcLuhan. Retrieved February 13, 2013 from http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/classes/188/spring07/mcluhan.pdf
Roach, J. (n.d.). Reality check for ‘trek’ tech. Retrieved February 25, 2013 from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30568858/#.USwfUUzUKSo
Turkle, S. (2008). Always-on/always-on-you: the tethered self. Retrieved on February 6, 2013 from http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/pdfsforstwebpage/ST_Always%20On.pdf
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2013). Replicator (star trek). Retrieved on February 25, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicator_(Star_Trek)
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2013). Tetrad of media effects. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrad_of_media_effects
Image:
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2013). Tetrad of media effects. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrad_of_media_effects
Marshall McLuhan and his son Eric developed a pedagogical tool in order to analyze media and technology. The tetrad pictured below, shows the simultaneous advent of any technology.
For McLuhan, the “tetrad is a means of examining the effects on society of any technology/medium…by dividing its effects into four categories and displaying them simultaneously” (Wikipedia, 2013).
Treatment:
The four categorical questions are:
1. What does the medium enhance?
2. What does the medium make obsolete?
3. What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier?
4. What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes? (Wikipedia, 2013).
In order for us to demonstrate and see how powerful MuLuhan’s tool for analyzing the effects of media and technology; let us turn our attention to the creation of a hologram combined with a phone.
- What does the medium enhance? A holographic phone will amplify web based conferencing and live chat rooms. The person hosting the call would have the option to allow any participant to interact with the host’s living environment. This situation would intensify augmented reality by projecting a live image that the user can interact with and speak to.
- What does the medium make obsolete? The holographic phone obsolesce television and manual instruction books. The technology will allow a better user experience compared to 3D television sets. Individual programming will give the user far more control than traditional television programming, and would not limit where it could be broadcasted. It could be more efficient to carry a handheld holographic phone device versus carrying a large television screen. It is a great addition to the outdoor adventurist that does not want to miss their favorite show! In addition, manual instruction books would be obsolete because a holographic phone could provide step by step instructions on how to operate or fix machinery. The do-it-yourself guidebooks projected in holographic form would be far more meaningful and reduce user error.
- What does the medium retrieve that had been obsolesced earlier? The holographic phone will retrieve personal diaries. Individuals could record their moments in their lives they would like to share with their family and friends. The user of this technology could use it as a formal will or leave a message for future generations. In addition, books could be acted out and played like a cinematic film on a mobile device.
- What does the medium flip into when pushed to extremes? When pushed to the extremes the technology could flip into many possibilities. The holographic phone could flip into a new technology that would allow the user to teleport from one location to the next, instead of projecting their image. Another possibility would be to select an item from a menu list and replicate the item for use or consumption. This could solve world hunger and make poverty obsolete. In addition, the holographic phone could be flipped into a universal language translator that is projected into the user’s ears (Wikipedia & Roach J., 2013)
Conclusion:
The tetrad’s power lies in its ability to probe and processes the effects of media and technology with any given society. For McLuhan, any tool is an extension of our senses. Therefore, we shape and make our tools in our own image. And in turn, the tools that we use shape us (McLuhan, 1969).
Sources:
Bennett, S. (n.d.). Tetrad examples. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://www.horton.ednet.ns.ca/staff/scottbennett/media/examples.html
Dimitri. (2008). McLuhan/laws of media. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://deoxy.org/media/McLuhan/LawsOfMedia
Invisiblechildreninc. (2012). Kony 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc
Norden, E. (1969). The playboy interview: marshall mcLuhan. Retrieved February 13, 2013 from http://www.cs.ucdavis.edu/~rogaway/classes/188/spring07/mcluhan.pdf
Roach, J. (n.d.). Reality check for ‘trek’ tech. Retrieved February 25, 2013 from http://www.nbcnews.com/id/30568858/#.USwfUUzUKSo
Turkle, S. (2008). Always-on/always-on-you: the tethered self. Retrieved on February 6, 2013 from http://web.mit.edu/sturkle/www/pdfsforstwebpage/ST_Always%20On.pdf
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2013). Replicator (star trek). Retrieved on February 25, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replicator_(Star_Trek)
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2013). Tetrad of media effects. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrad_of_media_effects
Image:
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. (2013). Tetrad of media effects. Retrieved February 19, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrad_of_media_effects