The Internet: Beyond Good and Evil? (The Ecology of Media)

The World Wide Web is arguably one of the biggest phenomenons to hit the 20th and 21st century. It is what enables this journal to be published free of charge, and for anyone with a connection to view. However, before I get into any of the implications of the internet, I’d like to focus on the famous media scholar Neil Postman.

Neil Postman essentially developed the idea of having ‘media ecology’. And within that body describing the way humans and culture develop within a certain technology, there are finer details to explore.

In a keynote address delivered at the Inaugural Media Ecology Association Convention, Postman describes his viewpoint of studying media as more ‘moralistic’ (Postman, 2). As opposed to Marshall McLuhan (whose name frequently, and most appropriately, appears in his speech), Postman believed that instead of just examining the media without any prejudice (as McLuhan suggests), one should be able to deconstruct the present media with great prejudice, and examine if a certain medium is actually benefiting our society (Postman, 7).

If we were to take Postman’s idea and combine morals with the study of a medium, how then should the internet be viewed? It boils down to how the internet is affecting us as human beings. At the end of his speech, Postman notes that:

“…it [media ecology] exists to further our insights into how we stand as human beings, how we are doing morally in the journey we are taking” (Postman, 7).

The internet is a vast topic that can be discussed for days. However, important questions can be posed that enable us to think about how our generation is progressing with the use of the internet.

For one, the internet is constantly growing. Some popular sites include Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If you notice, there is a common link between these three web phenomenons, and that is networking.

Yes, networking is only one of the many uses for the internet, but it is ever more prevalent today. Going back to an idea posed by Marshall McLuhan, we are expanding our range of communication at an alarmingly rapid rate and widening the ‘global village’("The Playboy Interview", 17).

But, how does this relate to media ecology and Postman’s idea of ‘media morality’? Where is this taking our societies? In a word, forward in many ways. Whether it’s political or social issues, networking sites can change the way people view a certain issue, and awareness can be raised.

That being said, we should approach the internet with particular scrutiny as well. Whether or not the internet is a ‘good’ or ‘evil’ medium, it would be wise to remember the words of McLuhan when he warned future generations about the ‘overload of sensory’ we would experience with the progression of new technologies (McLuhan). Internet users can anonymously choose to influence other users on the web, and opens up a method of communication that was never seen before. The internet is not the real world, and we must be aware of technology now in the present day and how it is changing the way we communicate with others.

Works Cited:
Postman, Neil. "The Humanism of Media Ecology." Media Ecology Association. 17 June 2000. Fordham University, Web. 5 Oct 2009. .

Berger, John. Ways of Seeing. London, England: Penguin Books, 1972. Print.

"The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan." Playboy March 1969.: n. pag. Web. 10 Oct 2009.