McLuhan’s The Medium is the Massage explores the theme of media acting as an active force that reshapes the way people act and think, rather than a passive instrument that delivers content. The passage that intrigued me the most was “your family,” which I interpreted as the idea that in our present time, the media has a greater influence on you than your family does. I don’t agree with this sentiment because though media is very present in our society, I wouldn’t credit that to say it “far surpasses any possible influence mom and dad can now bring to bear.” There are thoughts and ideals that people were brought up with that can’t be replicated by mainstream media even if it does have a further reach and thus has a way of teaching us things that we may have never known otherwise.
When you are a kid, there is no way to learn right from wrong from the media because it’s not a real sentient being. You don’t learn what to say or what not to say, nor can it teach you what moral values and beliefs you should have. Instead, your parents will always be there to guide you as a young child.
On the other hand, I do agree with the last sentence of the passage where he states that “all the world’s a sage,” because it supports the notion people can be shaped by a multitude of factors beyond just your parents. What your parents teach you will always find a way to follow you, but the media does have a way to help you unlearn what you were taught, change how you act, or even how you think when you’re old enough to comprehend worlds that are beyond your own.
For example, when I was younger, my parents taught me to think a certain way because that was how they were brought up to think as well. Through media, I was able to form my own opinions on the same topic by viewing it from another lens, and ended up unlearning what I was taught. However, I would not have been able to see both sides of the issue if I were not exposed to differing opinions and ideals. Therefore, while the media does have a way to redefine family dynamics, it isn’t comparable and doesn’t negate the teachings of your family.