This week finding something to write about for this class was extremely difficult for me. I decided to do a post based upon the section my group had for review, hot & cold mediums. I wanted to do a blog post on the evolution of McLuhan's media, and then I figured that might actually be pretty boring. Instead, after a day of shopping, I realized I could write about just that.
The evolution of shopping is changing consumer buying habits and how they interact when they engage in this activity. Last year for a research paper on leisure habits, I researched that in previous years before the 1990s, shopping was always for necessity and never for pleasure. It was not until the economic boom that people had extra money to spend on luxury products. This triggered the movement for shopping centers and people to make going to the mall to spend money a full blown experience. Driving to the mall, walking around, trying on clothes, carrying the bags, etc, is not only a tiring, but a very interactive experience. In terms of McLuhans definition, shopping is a cool medium.
Looking at how our society operates today and all of the new technology that has been developed, I cannot say that shopping is only a cool medium. What about the aspect of online shopping? The ability to go to a retailer's website and purchase products without having to change out of your slippers in the comfort of your own home is extremely attractive to many people, including myself. I used to love the experience of going to the mall and trying on different things-- now I feel like I am almost over it. Simply being able to click a button, no waste of gas, back or foot pain, is so appealing. Shopping is "getting warmer" as a medium because it can also use the internet. Something I have begun to realize is that with the development of new technology, soon simple tasks that were once enjoyable but involved interaction, are no longer fun to do because of more efficient and less energy consuming ways. Soon, all medias will become warm!
In addition, on that same note-- as a person continues to extend themselves by using the latest shopping methods, they also numb their senses because online shopping takes away from the satisfaction of the once cherised luxury shopping experience.
I think that the online marketplace has become an alternate world that will eventually take the place of the buying experience for many products. The shopping experience will become more intuitive as technology improves, and soon we will not have to worry about even leaving our homes. In a way, it is progressive, but at the same time it takes away from the atmosphere you have when you see products live in a storefront.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the movie surrogate? Its a SciFi film about people that never leave their homes and live their lives through robots they control. I agree with you that a similar change has and is taking place in regards to internet shopping. During my summer internship i had to attend a seminar about how Ecommerce is now about delivering the best online shopping experience, not just a retailer selling items on the internet.
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