McLuhan's Laws

I really enjoyed learning about McLuhan's Laws of Media in class and I decided to start dissecting Facebook in each law for the next paper:

The first law is enhance, which means any social phenomenon where the tool extends something about the human experience. In other words how does the new technology improve or enhance something from the original form? 

Facebook enhances our means of communication. Society is no longer limited to phone calls and letters to keep-in-touch with friends and loved ones. Facebook makes interactions and maintaining various relationships more accessible with the click of a button. 

             

The next law is the law of reverse. This basically means that the new form will reverse what were the original characteristics. Taking the initial intent of the media, and looking to see what has gone off in dismay to slap us in the face, is the main goal when trying to see how the new form has gone through its reverse course. 

Looking at Facebook, it can be argued that though its’ original purpose was to bring people closer by establishing and sustaining connectedness, it reverses the idea of sincerity in relationships, while driving us a part. There’s not a desire to make time to see someone you haven’t seen in a while because now with Facebook, you do “see” them every day. We stop calling people because that eventually becomes a hassle compared to logging on and posting “hello” on someone’s page.

The law of retrieve is next. This law shows how the new media

form brings back something that was lost. 

The positive side of Facebook is probably most evident through this law. Over time people lose contact with old friends and distant relatives, but Facebook retrieves this and enables us to do so habitually. Some believe if it wasn’t for Facebook they wouldn't talk or keep up with certain people in their life, so in theory it somehow brings back the awareness of the importance of relationships in our lives. 

            

The last of McLuhan’s law is obsolesce. In this law it is examined what was pushed aside or obsolesced by the new media. 

Face to face interactions is often completely thrown out the window once someone becomes addicted to his multi-ways to interact with people via the social site. Not only can you post directly on someone’s page, you can send a personal one-on-one message, an instant message, even tag someone in your own message. Having so many options often overshadows the basic appeal of one-on-one time with someone.