Humans cannot be separated by technology and its development. This is the principle of media ecology theory.
Technology unites society and technology remains at the center of human virtual life. Media ecology theory is one of the efforts in the field of communication to understand the influence of media on culture.
Quoted from Introduction to Communication Theory : Analysis and Applications (2017) by Richard West & Lynn H, McLuhan says that media ecology theory is the study of how media and communication processes affect human perceptions, feelings, emotions, and technological values that affect communication through new technologies. .
McLuhan developed a way to look further into the impact of technology on society.
McLuhan offers a tetralogy as part of a concept that allows scholars to understand the past, present, and future effects of media.
With this theory, McLuhan discusses the existing media laws. Here are four media laws offered by McLuhan, namely:
Enhancement
The law of improvement is an increase in society that strengthens the level of intelligence, existence, and pattern of life. This shift makes humans sensitive to technology.
For example, the development in the world of the internet, which is able to open the horizons of the human mind to communicate without any limitations to all individuals in the world.
Outdated
This law means that at a certain time, the technology that existed and was controlled at that time suddenly became something ancient and outdated.
For example, black and white television technology, which became the prima donna in the 1960s, was later replaced by color TB technology and continues to grow until now.
Take back
This law is more about the process of taking back something that once existed and then it is lost, after that it undergoes renewal, improvement, and refinement.
For example, in-person conversations can now be replaced with face to cave online or via video calls. So that people can still talk face to face even though in different places and even different countries.
Reversal
The law that talks about the sick and cure pattern. where the media can be a source of havoc and can be the opposite for its users.
Media history
The media law as outlined by McLuhan is also continuous with the history of the media. Media ecology theory relies on understanding the history of the media itself.
McLuhan emphasizes that a media becomes a tool to shape society. It identified four distinct time periods for media development.
Media history that also influenced media law according to McLuhan, is as follows:
Tribal period
Speech or spoken culture dominates human communication behavior. Word of mouth becomes a cohesive communication.
Literature period
The invention of the phonetic alphabet was used by humans as symbols to communicate in writing without face-to-face interaction, such as correspondence.
Printing period
Mass writing of texts, although still linear, cannot be done in the literature period.
Along with the invention of printing machine technology, humans began to enter the printing period. Many books and printed materials can be used by everyone.
Electronic period
With the telegraph communication technology, it becomes a new chapter for the world of human communication. The distance between humans to communicate is no longer felt in this period.
For example, black and white television technology, which became the prima donna in the 1960s, was later replaced by color TB technology and continues to grow until now.
Take back
This law is more about the process of taking back something that once existed and then it is lost, after that it undergoes renewal, improvement, and refinement.
For example, in-person conversations can now be replaced with face to cave online or via video calls. So that people can still talk face to face even though in different places and even different countries.
Reversal
The law that talks about the sick and cure pattern. where the media can be a source of havoc and can be the opposite for its users.
Media history
The media law as outlined by McLuhan is also continuous with the history of the media. Media ecology theory relies on understanding the history of the media itself.
McLuhan emphasizes that a media becomes a tool to shape society. It identified four distinct time periods for media development.
Media history that also influenced media law according to McLuhan, is as follows:
Tribal period
Speech or spoken culture dominates human communication behavior. Word of mouth becomes a cohesive communication.
Literature period
The invention of the phonetic alphabet was used by humans as symbols to communicate in writing without face-to-face interaction, such as correspondence.
Printing period
Mass writing of texts, although still linear, cannot be done in the literature period.
Along with the invention of printing machine technology, humans began to enter the printing period. Many books and printed materials can be used by everyone.
Electronic period
With the telegraph communication technology, it becomes a new chapter for the world of human communication. The distance between humans to communicate is no longer felt in this period.