Midterm answers Question 3

3. McLuhan used a model with four elements surrounding the term MEDIUM. Touching on the four elements, describe how this model can help us in interpreting social media.

Does the medium enhance a personal trait
Social media absolutely enhances a personal trait. People's sense of community is enhanced through the use of social media. Look at our class, we came in as strangers, and now we're a community of students. This was enhanced through our use of ning, wiggio and other social media as a form of early communication. What interpreting whether or not a social media application is useful or effective, the first thing I look at is whether it helps create a community.

What medium does the new medium make obsolete?
Unfortunately for me, a former journalist, social media is making broadcast news and newspapers obsolete. As I said earlier, anyone can create news. (Even this guy)

The other disappointing part of social media is that it has eliminated the need for face-to-face contact. I can keep a close relationship with people I've never met without leaving my house. This is great for networking, but having to create a personal brand online, rather than having people associate your brand with what you do on a daily basis seems like humans are taking a step backwards.

What does the medium retrieve?
Keeping in line with what I said above, social media has helped people retrieve their own voice. Without the internet, average people had a tough time having their ideas heard. Now, with the social media explosion, there is almost an overflow of opinion. You can find opinions of all sorts, with the click of a mouse. To me, that's what social media should do.

What does the new medium reverse?
Social media has changed the way people communicate with each other. All communication used to be top down and linear. Not anymore.
Now, since everyone has a voice, communication comes from all sides, all levels of people and through all mediums.
This is a great way to analyze if a social media site is working. If people are communicating in various ways, on various topics and there is no heirarchy, then that site is probably worth checking out.