Pontifications of a Kindergartener

I was lucky. The others, not so much. Spending mornings with Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, and Cookie Monster had left many lost in their own world, unable to place a hand on reality. I hadn't known at first what it was that was turning my friends and peers into mindless drones, but before long I had it figured out. My parents wouldn't take my findings seriously though. Not even my teachers, surely the smartest people I knew, would listen.

I told them, "THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE!"

They laughed. Told me I was cute. Told me to go play ball. I was furious.

"Don't you see?! It is not the content but rather that which is subtle, that which subconsciously alters the way we perform. That is what will have the greatest impact years from now. Don't you see?!"

Judging by their wandering eyes and rather disturbing disinterest in my pontification, I diagnosed them as lost causes, too far gone to even be helped. I realized if I were to save the world, I would have to do some research to get to the root of it all.

While I was not quite a master of reading yet, I sounded out words and eventually made it through several essays which further proved my point. I wasn't alone. Men by the names of Marshall McLuhan and Mark Federman described the phenomenon exactly as I had suspected. The people were clueless to what was happening, but every day they were being altered through the mediums in which they interacted with the world. The phenomenon was nothing new, only the mediums and the effects the mediums had upon society. Federman eloquently described what McLuhan meant by the term "medium" in his essay, "What is the Meaning of the Medium is the Message?"

Classically, he suggests that a hammer extends our arm and that the wheel extends our legs and feet. Each enables us to do more than our bodies could do on their own. Similarly, the medium of language extends our thoughts from within our mind out to others. (Federman)

I took note to make this clearer to the drones next time and I delved further into Federman as he interpreted McLuhan.

McLuhan tells us that a "message" is, "the change of scale or pace or pattern" that a new invention or innovation "introduces into human affairs." (McLuhan 8) Note that it is not the content or use of the innovation, but the change in inter-personal dynamics that the innovation brings with it. Thus, the message of theatrical production is not the musical or the play being produced, but perhaps the change in tourism that the production may encourage. In the case of a specific theatrical production, its message may be a change in attitude or action on the part of the audience that results from the medium of the play itself, which is quite distinct from the medium of theatrical production in general. (Federman)

I scribbled furiously in my neatest cursive, trying to place my thoughts into comprehendible sentences even my teachers might understand:

A hammer is a medium through which people extend their arms, allowing them to drive nails. The message of this medium is now that people can build better houses, the living standard may increase and society will grow. The television show, Sesame Street, is a medium through which children extend their brains, allowing them to learn while also being entertained. The message of this medium is that children may become accustomed to the rapidly changing segments and their long-term focus will suffer as a result. Messages from mediums can better society, worsen society, or possibly both, but it is often not obvious until long after the medium has taken a foothold in society.

So that much was clear. I had developed a means to explain why my friends and peers were losing interest in the spelling of 3-letter words, but what came next? Could a new medium disrupt society even more? Might we all revert to wearing diapers? With technology rapidly changing, who knew what to expect? I needed to learn more, so I returned to the research.

“Technological Determinism” populated multitudes of texts as I searched more, so I gave the term a look. The concept suggested technology actually determines the development of our culture and society, rather than changes in society determining the development of new technology. It went hand-in-hand with McLuhan’s comments on mediums and messages. I scribbled more:

Technology is an ever-changing phenomenon. With each new invention, society adapts as the inventions are integrated into our lives. For example, prior to the invention of the telephone, communication across long distances was a much slower and arduous process. Society embraced the telephone as writing letters to communicate across distances became inane. More deep-rooted societal effects eventually became visible such as poorer face-to-face communication.

If I wanted to save my peers, I would need to understand how the Cookie Monster got on to TV in the first place. Did the invention of television cause society to demand a furry creature that loved cookies and taught us to spell? With a little more research, I figured I may just dispel the mystery. I picked through Marshall McLuhan’s, “Understanding Radio,” and deciphered his discussion on what he referred to as “hot” and “cool” mediums. Radio, he offered, was a “hot” medium. It extends one single sense in “high-definition” which in turn means low audience participation. TV, on the other hand, was what he called a “cool” medium because it is high in participation by the audience. As people desire different aspects from each different medium, individuals may view the same material differently when it is presented across different mediums.

If McLuhan was right about this, it explained exactly what I needed to know. Across the “cool” medium of television, my naïve counterparts grasped at the opportunity to participate with the television and became hopelessly addicted. I was proud of what I had concluded, but I still needed get my message across. That was another day though; there were still five minutes left of recess.