(This is an old post from 2015; the point is valid, but the changes are far more than “the small details,” as stated below. That was true at the time this post originally appeared, I’m sure. I think my point was, life on the surface has changed so much. There really wasn’t that much difference between people living in the 1980s and people living in the 1940s, except the former traveled in jet planes and the latter dressed a lot better. Now, not only is it a different world, it looks different, too.)
When my grandmother was born, airplanes were more than a decade in the future. In my lifetime, space exploration and exploitation became a reality. In the 20th century, automobiles took over. Electricity and telephones became ubiquitous, and television was invented. It would be impossible to name a century of greater change. Yet, I think more apparent change has occurred in the past two decades. By apparent change, I mean changes in daily life and routine. Think how dated movies made only a few years ago can seem. You’ll see people running around frantically searching for pay phones. You’ll see black computer screens with green type. You’ll hear people asking, “Where are we?!” The fabric of daily life now has an entirely different feel. Take, for example, the above cartoon from 20 years ago. Of course, many people—if they still have land lines—still have answering machines, but they’re not the icon of connectivity they once were. And kids in the household certainly do not consider them a lifeline! Technological change has been a juggernaut for the past 200 years, but the small details have never been more apparent than in the current century.
74 responses to “The Medium Is the Message”
When did we first realize that planned obsolescence was a real thing? It started early in the 20th century and rules in the tech world this one!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence
My wife’s maternal grandmother was born in 1896 and passed in 1999. She came from Morgan County, Ohio, an extremely rural and poor area of the state. She left home when she was 18 so that she could work and send money home. Story shortened: She married, had six children, became city auditor at age 40 when her husband (he was the auditor) passed due to gallstones at age 62. All six children were/are extremely intelligent and successful, as are the grandchildren.
Try to imagine the changes that she witnessed during her lifetime.
Jimmy:
Your reference to Marshall McLuhan reminds me of Neil Postman.
Mr. Postman stated that Mr. McLuhan was incorrect. He said that the statement should be “The medium is the metaphor.”
He explains his point extremely well in “Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business.”
It was published in 1985 and is even more accurate in today’s world, thanks to the incredible advances in technology and how it has changed everything.
I’m one of the geezers who still has only a wall phone – “land line”, as seems to be the modern term. We have 4 apparati so that it can be answered from any of several different places. Of course, as the last several years have elapsed, I have tended to answer less and less. More sales pitches and political crud are the reasons. Blessings on voice mail for that ability to screen.
The MBH does have a portable electronic phone primarily for emergency usage. Mostly, it gathers dust while charging or else gets lost. The little bugger seems to have grown little feet! My observation is that it really lacks in the ability to store a charge. As it doesn’t get used even once a month, why should it need charging every day or three?
Yesterday’s xkcd noted that there were 57 years between the 1st human airplane flight and the 1st human space flight, and 57 years since that 1st human space flight. It’s been a fast, busy 57 years!
Another way things have changed since the ’80s is that back then, it was still customary for men to wear a coat and tie when they flew, and women to dress equivalently. Now, of course, nobody bothers. I still don’t understand, though, where that custom came from.
Sideburns, I guess that is a carryover from the consideration of travel as a formal occasion, like going to church or to work in an office. Personally, I’m glad it’s gone. I developed an aversion to coat and tie when forced to wear them to church as a youngster. Last time I wore them was to get married, another reinforcement of my aversion!
Rick in S, O
My wife’s Grandmother lived during the same timeframe.
From Steam Engine to Space Flight
From when everyone walked to when nobody walks.
c e-p
Does your apparati still have dials as does ours?
MB still has a brick – it costs about $10.00 a year.
The above mentioned XKCD note on air and space timeline:
https://xkcd.com/2074/
Old Bear, my maternal great-grandmother was born in 1874 and died in 1969. Born less than 10 years after the end of the Civil War and died the year we put men on the moon.
All our phones are push button jobs; they weren’t acquired THAT long ago! (Maybe 30-35 yrs. at lost, definitely less for one.)
Astute observations from one who makes his livelihood from noticing his world. As the old man said, “You ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Happy Thanksgiving.
Coyote, Canada prairie.
https://explore.org/livecams/bison/plains-bison-grasslands-national-park-cam-1
Peace,
Patient eagles, SE MN/NW WI
https://explore.org/livecams/birds/mississippi-river-flyway-cam
Nobody here but us prairie dogs?
https://explore.org/livecams/bison/plains-bison-grasslands-national-park-cam-1
“As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”
Land lines. I heard on the radio a woman whose father lived in Paradise, Calif., and had only a land-line phone, no cell. He kept all his phone numbers in a paper address book. She doesn’t know if he escaped the fire, or if so where he is now, and his phone and address book were both destroyed, so he can’t call her (if he is alive).
Wild turkeys can fly, have flown over hwys I’ve driven often. Here’s a good look at a Long-Eared Owl.
https://explore.org/livecams/birds/long-eared-owl-cam
Peace,
emb, You’re right about the wild ones. When I lived in Tennessee, we had them in the woods behind our house, in an airport’s green space. They used to fly over the security fence to get to our side and back. And I saw them fly into high trees and perch there.
Decided to check in instead of just observe.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
God bless us every one.
God bless the USA.
I believe Jackie was just explaining to me the other day that the Ancient Egyptians didn’t mummify cats because they worshipped them. It was more like a hobby or something.
emb that is a famous line from a hilarious old television show called WKRP in Cincinnati. They threw live turkeys out of a helicopter to crowd below..
There really was town that did this not fictional.
Ghost used to be bird hunter but he says turkeys took great skills to kill. We have wild flocks in our area
..
I was shocked to find out Egyptians has kitty breeding farms to provide cats to be mummified for your funeral and your tomb. Kind of like flowers at the funeral nowadays.
Some tombs were full of cats, hundreds. One contained 1800 cats.
My grandmother was born in 1867.
Russ S.:
That’s astounding. How old was she when she gave birth to your mom or dad?