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Let’s talk about McLuhan’s theory of extensions and amputations. Most of us would agree that the invention of movable type and printing has been responsible for much social and cultural progress. In McLuhan’s model, the development of movable type can be seen as a key “extension” of human vision. However, McLuhan proposes that “extensions” are always accompanied by “amputations.” In other words, progress in one area is always accompanied by a reversal of progress in some other area. An “amputation” can be thought of as a side effectwhich could be good or bad, or both.

1. Use McLuhan’s theory and respond to both of the prompts below.(100words each)
      – Name one of the “amputations” that McLuhan claims the shift to a visual, literate culture produced. What lasting effects does this continue to have on us today?
      – How can graphic design play a role in re-tribalization?

2. Respond to other person’s thought.(30words each)
      – Society, by becoming visual and literate, sacrificed (or amputated) the ability to grasp the deeply “imaginative, emotional, and sensory life”-McLuhan. This separation still carries an effect on us in modern day society, although we have the capability of communicating our imaginative, emotional and sensory lives through words, we cannot convey the true physiological feelings and tones. I believe this is a common struggle in digital communications like texting as well as graphic design. I find this issue appears more often in individual life, you send a text and it is misinterpreted by the receiver for lack of understanding the correct interpreted tone or emotion, it is impossible to convey those through type. In Graphic design for example, a poster about endangered species awareness is urgent and important, the ability to grasp the senses and emotions is extremely difficult without adding pictures of the animals, however even then it is usually not sufficient enough to get someone to take action against the issue.
      – From my understanding, An obvious extension would be social media. We communicate with movable type for entertainment, education, and business. Things seem to be more convenient, but are they really? Speaking to someone face to face would be a lot quicker, and accurate. This would be the amputation. Social skills have probably diminished to some degree.