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Media Ecology T heory. Presented by Connie Chan COMM 1050 - Elements of Human Communication 10 /26/2012. Media Ecology. The Media Ecology Theory is commonly known as the Medium Theory Its defined by “the study of media as environments” or how the media directly effects society
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Media Ecology Theory Presented by Connie Chan COMM 1050-Elements of Human Communication10/26/2012
Media Ecology • The Media Ecology Theory is commonly known as the Medium Theory • Its defined by “the study of media as environments” or how the media directly effects society • The idea or phrase “media ecology” was introduced by Neil Postman in 1960 • Then proposed by the for theorist - Mcluhan for big emphasis on how electronic technology effects society at 1964
Marshall McLuhan • Should not only observe media on its own but “the ways in which new medium effects tradition and reshapes social life” • Mcluhan also believed that the social impact of the media was an extension of our senses and altered our social world • The laws of media is enhancement, obsolescence, retrieval, reversal • “man is an extention of nature that remakes the nature, that makes the man”
Four epochs of Human History • The Tribal Age (Before 2000 B.C.) • An acoustic community • The Literary Age (2000-1500 B.C.) • Avisual point of view • The Printed Age (1450) • Prototype of the industrial revolution • The Electronic Age (1850) • The rise of the global village
Metatheoretical Assumption • Media theory tie the world together and focuses on the it’s characteristics • Media fix our perceptions and organize our experiences • Media infuse every act and action in society
Critique • McLuhan's use of words and his clarity make little sense for some people • Some writers believe that McLuhan failed to define his words carefully and used too much exaggeration • McLuhan offers no apology, he said, "I don't explain—I explore"
Real-life Example Mass media influence on today’s society http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv4_YMl9k0w
Conclusion • Media Ecology talks about how communication mediums create these media environments around those who use the medium. McLuhan said “The medium is the message! We live in a message. The content of a new medium is an old medium.”