McLuhan's Tetrad

A very interesting summation of a very interesting man. It is almost unbelievable that so many of the thoughts and terms we use to talk about the present and future state of media comes from a man who lived "in the early 1960s at a time when television was still in its infancy, and the personal computer was almost twenty years into the future.” At first glace, I thought high-priest was an exaggeration and inappropriate term to associate to a expert of marketing and media, but after finishing the article I agree that McLuhan’s reflections are on a prophet-like level. Granted many of his thoughts are not new. Women have always tried to attract men using physical qualities and “polishing” parts has been part of that quality, but noting that media has the power and influence women to increase and control individuals into action that attempt to increase these qualities is relatively new even today. McLuhan saw how we shape and are shaped by our desires and faith and clearly saw the environment

from all angles. I especially enjoyed how frank McLuhan can. “The objective of advertising men, said McLuhan, is the manipulation, exploitation, and control of the individual.”

I liked the structure of the summary and imagine it is how McLuhan began his pondering, beginning from inside our minds, to the physical abilities of our bodies, and extending out beyond to the community of humanity. McLuhan’s thoughts are once again not necessarily new, but the “extension” of those innate characteristics and having such a firm understanding as to predict the direction of our society is amazing. McLuhan’s thoughts on balance were particularly interesting There has always been a sense of balance, a system of plus and minuses. The idea of balance to our extensions and warnings over-extended technology result in loss or harm is very relevant today. This sense of balance is expressed well in McLuhan’s tetrad. The tetrad’s four questions give a broader perspective and balance to how we use technology and help us see to all the positives and negatives. At this time of our lives McLuhan’s ideas can be almost taken for granted. So much of what he shared has become the present. If we choose to ignore how media or technology shapes our lives and environment, we are in danger of losing ourselves in those things that we created.