As our technological age progresses and new mediums are created, younger generations are understanding mediums and media in ways we are still uncovering. While digital immigrants are concern themselves with the content they post, share, and/or like, I'd argue that digital natives are deciphering, perhaps subconsciously, which mediums best deliver the messages they are attempting to send.
In The Medium is the Message, McLuhan states "For the 'message' of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs" (8). This makes me think about how social media platforms have completely changed the speed and patterns of their communication with their peers. For example, most of my students use Snapchat, but the specifically use it if they need to gain or provide instant access to what their friends are doing. Typically the content that goes on their snaps may seem mundane like 'hanging out in class' or 'walking through the halls', but one could argue that the visuals of a snap enable our students to send their ETA's far more quickly and specifically than a text could.
Then I think about the differentiation McLuhan made, in Media Hot and Cold, for the terms hot and cold media. He mentions hot media classified as involving low participation and cold media involving high participation (23). I considered the relationship my students have with the media I present to them in class versus the media they have on their social platforms. Though now obvious I can see why engagement can sometimes be low, or engagement isn't at it's highest, even though in my mind I'm showing them something I think they'll feel is relevant or 'cool'. The reality is that because they are natives to technology and are far more experienced in creating through the use of technology, the amount of participation on their behalf is critical in order for content to truly resonate.
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