Media Determinism; From “Hypodermic Needle” to “Slacktivism”

 

By Mohsen Goudarzi.

 

 

 

Media Determinism simply roots in Technology Determinism, a reductionist theory insisting that a society’s technology drives the development of socio-cultural structures. Thorstein Veblen (1857–1929), American sociologist and economist created this term. Moreover, Merritt Roe Smith (1994) in the Does Technology drive history? stated that the first major elaboration of a technological determinist view in socioeconomic development came from Karl Marx.

Anyway, Kunz (2008) clear the goal of technological determinism as showing technical developments, media, or technology as a whole, as the key mover in history and social change. Two main characteristics of technology determinism could be mentioned. First, development of technology follows a predictable, traceable path beyond cultural and political influence. Second, technology has effects on societies that are inherent, rather than socially conditioned.

However, Media Determinism roots in the beginning of emerging the field of Media Studies. At the first, some scholars believed in the extreme power of media effects. For example, Hypodermic Needle Model (also known as the magic bullet theory) is a model of communications suggesting that an intended message is directly received and wholly accepted by the receiver. The model is rooted in 1930s behaviorism and based on some sort of determinism, which did not accept human and social roles. Although this theory largely considered obsolete today, but media determinism has been extended in media studies history.

Media determinism can be traced after World War II and in the period of Mass Media importance. In this period, the name of Marshal McLuhan has been shining. He is the famous thinker in the field of media studies who can be categorized as a believer of media determinism.

McLuhan’s works about media have got too many attention. He has known because of his specific thoughts concerning communication technologies. McLuhan in Understanding Media: the Extensions of Man (1964) proposed that media themselves, not the content they carry, should be the focus of study—popularly quoted as “the medium is the message”.

McLuhan insight was that a medium affects society in which it plays a role not by the content delivered over the medium, but by the characteristics of the medium itself. He believed that the men have affected by the media. In The Medium is the Massage (1967) insists that all media are “extensions” of our human senses, bodies and minds.

McLuhan described key points of change in how man has viewed the world and how these views were changed by the adoption of new media. Finally, McLuhan didn’t believe in content of media, but believe in its technology. McLuhan ceased in technological form and wasn’t able to see beyond it.

Such these opinions in media studies are not so popular. Anyway, they have been extended to information age. Nowadays, many scholars are enchanted in new media and exaggerate its power in changing different aspects of the world. They believe new media can bring new era of human life. They also think the real world can be changed by using new media.

“Slacktivism” including the words slacker and activism is usually considered a pejorative term that describes “feel-good” measures in support of an issue or social cause. Slacktivism defines as the act of showing support for a cause but only truly being beneficial to the egos of people participating in this so-called activism. In these days, slacktivism refers to Internet-based activities.

Social Networking Sites (SNSs) such as Facebook and Twitter allowing people to easily like, share or tweet about something interesting they saw on the Internet. People can express concerns about different topics including social, cultural or political issues with nothing more than the click of a mouse, when very little thought or effort is required. People who get used to be active in SNSs think they have beneficial activity, which its consequences can be seen in the real world.

Nevertheless, how it can be possible; new media is restricted in social and cultural structures. Although Internet-based media are interactive, ubiquitous, and non-limited, but based on history of media studies, exaggerating power of these media is wrong. The future will much clarify the limitation, inefficiency, and discomfiture (especially in eastern societies) of New Media.

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