McLuhan Quote

“The family circle has widened. The worldpool of information fathered by electric media -movies, Telstar, flight- far surpasses any possible influence mom and dad can now bring to bear. Character no longer is shaped by only two earnest, fumbling experts. Now all the world’s a sage.” (McLuhan 14)

As technology advances, there appears to be a greater gap between family members. Quite often you’ll see families sitting together at a restaurant, but everyone will be staring into their cellphones. They’re together physically, but each of them is busy checking their Facebook account, watching a Youtube video, or texting someone who isn’t even in the room. Another example is when individuals will use technology to quite literally do the job of parenting for them. Again at the restaurant, it’s very likely to see a couple with their child who is busy playing a game on a tablet or phone. The couple is so engrossed with themselves and what they’re doing that it’s almost as if they’ve forgotten their child is even at the table. Instead of receiving some much needed bonding time with their parents, children seem to be at risk of developing a substitute familial relationship with technology instead.