McLuhans argument on the power of media - Essay Example

Discussion 2 Topics Media in today’s world plays a pivotal role in shaping the society. Due to the power media has over social consciousness, McLuhan’s argument is worth considering. New technologies have made people forget the simple joys of having a personal conversation and resorted to “texting” and “instant messaging”. McLuhan’s argument regarding books encouraging privacy and individualism supports the case where we would rather read a book or enjoy listening to music on our iPod/mp3 player, than start a face to face conversation.

McLuhan, Ong, Innis and many other scholars have used associational reasoning which can be described as way of thinking where one associates or connects events and phenomena, which no one else had even noticed before. Even though, associational reasoning is quite beneficial, it tends to become hyperbolic and pushing together of too many ideas. For instance, McLuhan’s view about the media was apolitical and challenged many conventional views, therefore, McLuhan’s way of thinking has always received mixed response.

Even though, McLuhan and Ong predicted technologies which have been invented today and could not have been imagined during that time (Ong), their work has been labeled as technological determinists. In other words, critics claim that their way of thinking mainly states that change in technology only brings about the social, cultural and psychological changes. Their work has been criticized of being generalized, that is, both Marshal and Ong have explained an entire historical period or a social event in a small paragraph.

It is argued that McLuhan’s theories were merely a convergence of too many ideas pushed together and not at all spoke of the modern discoveries like the internet (Ferell). The conclusion is that association reasoning, used by people like McLuhan and Ong are responsible for modernizing the thinking of the society, is definitely an extraordinary way of thinking and can lead to many discoveries and inventions. Thus, we see associational reasoning has always done well to the society, provided it does not have a tendency of hyperbolism and conflation.