Media Ecology

Abstract

This chapter presents a brief introduction to some aspects of the contexts in which media ecology came into being as a theory group. It focuses on some theoretical generalizations about how media ecology conceptualizes the symbiotic relationships between and across culture, communication, and technology. According to McLuhan, the media with and through which we interact with the world are in essence extensions of our sensory apparatus. On this assumption, every communication medium has a built-in set of intrinsic sensory characteristics that are meant to enhance our ability to “sense” the world. From this perspective, the study of media is therefore the study of our extensions. Media ecology is concerned with what effects the media engender, who is affected, how, to what extent, and why. It is clear from recent developments that media ecology will continue to evolve and develop into one of the most exciting theoretical perspectives in communication.

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