The Ecology of Media

I’ll begin by defining: What does media ecology mean?

In communication, media (singular medium) are the storage and transmission tools used to store and deliver information or data. It is often referred to as synonymous with mass media or news media, but may refer to a single medium used to communicate any data for any purpose(Wikipedia)
Ecology as the environment as it relates to living organisms; the branch of biology concerned with the relations between organisms and their environment (WordNet search)

The ecology of media suggests that our relationship with media is so complex that we exist in two environments our natural environment as well as a ‘media environment.’ Media theorist Neil Postman argues that in order to properly study and comprehend media it is essential to investigate it within a moral and ethical context.

In a keynote speech given to the media ecology association in June of 2000, Postman states:

“And so we must keep in mind, first, that people differ about what is good for them and what isn’t, and second, that changes over time will make us see things differently from the way they might have first appeared. In keeping these factors in mind, is one taking the position of a moral relativist? Not necessarily. It is possible, for example, to say that when people have differed over the moral implications of a new medium, one group was wrong. And I think it also possible to say that although time may change the way people judge the effects of a new medium, time can be wrong. I mean, let us say, that the negative effects of a medium might still be a problem and remain one in spite of the passage of time. In other words, time does not always erase the disadvantages of a medium. Neither does it necessarily weaken the advantages.” (1)

The specific technology I will be focusing on is the cell phone. The modern day cell phone has evolved into something far greater than a device simply used to make phone calls. The cell phone doubles as an address book, an organizer, calculator, calendar, music player, camera and so much more.

This brings me to the iPhone commercials(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szrsfeyLzyg) that show all the “wonderful” applications available to iPhone users, featuring the catchphrase “There’s an app for that”. I can’t help but ask myself, is this all necessary? The cell phones intended purpose is to make and receive calls, but is this what we really use our phones for? Are cell phones as wonderful as they seem?

I conclude that yes, cell phones are wonderful inventions but we must realize that cell phones like any medium has its faults.

Works cited
"Media (communication) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 5 Oct. 2009 .
"The Humanism of Media Ecology :: MEA Proceedings." The Media Ecology Association. 5 Oct. 2009 .
“WordNet Search." Http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=ecology
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szrsfeyLzyg