Module 2 - Wearable Technology Smartwatches – Working with McLuhan’s Tetrad

Wearable Technology

Smartwatches – Working with McLuhan’s Tetrad

McLuhan, a Canadian University communication theory professor and philosopher, introduce a context for examining media effects on society through the tetrad. By definition, a Tetrad is simply a set or grouping of four things (Dictionary, 2013). McLuhan used his tetrad method as an informative tool for exploration of an object, through a metaphoric framework (McLuhan & Powers, 1989). McLuhan’s tetrad allowed him to apply four laws, outlined as questions, to a wide array of human endeavors (McLuhan & Powers, 1989). McLuhan’s tetrad gives us a practical tool for looking at our culture.

According to Thornburg (2013e), McLuhan designed four questions to investigate a medium under examination using the context of his tetrad:

1      What does the medium enhance?

2      What does the medium make obsolete?

3      What does the medium retrieve or revive that had been made obsolescent?

4      What does the medium reverse into when pushed to extremes?

McLuhan designed the tetrad as a pedagogical tool to examine the effects on society of any medium/technology by dividing its effects into four categories and displaying them simultaneously (McLuhan & Powers, 1989). Thornburg (2013e) further states that “by virtue of being introduced, a new technology (or medium) carries with it seeds of destruction paving the way for the next one to follow” (p. 2). Thus, Educators can use McLuhan’s Tetrad to discover more about the technology (or medium) being considered. In addition, Thornburg (2013e) tells us that it is very important to know if a technology that is being considered is being pushed into obsolescence, and what technology will replace it. This information will help Educators better decide which technologies to consider for their workplace.

The technology that our Learning Community is researching is Wearable Technologies, specifically Smartwatches. Wearable technology recalls a wonderful time of my youth, when I would be spellbound watching television reruns of the 1960’s shows Get Smart and Star Trek. Agent Maxwell Smart would use his shoe phone to speak to the Chief at CONTORL or Agent 99, out in the field, and when Captain Kirk and Scottie would speak to one another using their Star Trek wrist communicator.

In 2015, Smartwatches emerged into overall societal use for communication as the members of the USS Enterprise used way back in the 1960’s on the television show Star Trek. Side Note: At the time of researching Wearable Technology for this blog post, I came across a new emerging Wearable Technology, the Smartshoe. Here is a link to read about it: http://www.tgdaily.com-www.tgdaily.com/mobile/120856-who-needs-a-smartwatch-when-you-can-have-smart-shoes. From the creative minds of the writing staffs for Get Smart and Star Trek, one could deduce that these two 21^st century, emerging technologies were hinted at as being available to the masses in the near future. 

As far as Smartwatches are concerned, currently this wearable technology can be employed to assist students and educators in easier forms of communication, without using a tablet, smartphone or computer, thus enhancing and optimize teaching and learning experiences overall.  

Tetrade for Wearable Technology – Smartwatches

Enhances – Smartwatches enhance communication by email, text or phone call. There is no need to carry a laptop or other mobile devices if your smartwatch has the same communication capacity. Smartwatches coupled with Mobile Cloud Storage will enhance data storage and retrieval.

Obsoletes – Smartwatches are pushing the personal computer into obsolescence. Cameras and Keyboards are also moving towards obsolescence based on voice commands (Siri or Kortana) and camera features of the Smartwatch.

Rekindle/Retrieval – As previously stated, the wearable wrist communicator was first employed as a theoretical technological device from the 1960’s television series Star Trek. Currently, Smartwatches can send and received phone calls, thus, residential phones and cell phones are rekindled. One can send and receive emails and text messages from a Smartwatch though voice commands, gestures, signs and other adaptive assistive technology apps, which rekindles thoughts of sign language. Smartwatches also rekindle digital calculator watches from the 1980’s.

Reversal – Holographic Communication and devices such as the Holographic Television will send text messaging and emails into obsoletion, since these types of information can be exchanged in a 3D face-to-face way. Teleporting (seen on Star Trek and other Sci-Fi movies and shows of the 1950’s and 1960’s) will also make emails, phone calls and text messaging obsolete, in theory by being able to make live contact with another human being to have a personal conversation in the exact same time or less that it would take for the phone call to go through or the email or text message to arrive.

References

Allan, D. (2014). Who needs a smartwatch when you can have smart shoes?. Tech Guru Daily. Retrieved from http://www.tgdaily.com-www.tgdaily.com/mobile/120856-who-needs-a-smartwatch-when-you-can-have-smart-shoes

Dictionary, M. W. (2013). Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online.

McLuhan, M., & Powers, B. R. (1989). The global village: Transformations in world life and media in the 21st century. Oxford University Press, USA.

Thornburg, D. (2013e). Emerging technologies and McLuhan's laws of media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration