"The message of any medium or technology is the change of scale or pace or pattern that it introduces into human affairs. The railway did not introduce movement or transpotatio or wheel or road into human society, but it accelerated and enlarged the scale of previous han functions, creating totally new kinds of cities and new kinds of work and leisure." (McLuhan, 1964, p. 8)

McLuhan's insight suggests that we need to look beyond the simple message to the social influence of the medium. As your textbook states, "...the manner in which people communicate shapes not only the society in which they live but how they interact within it (p. 461).

Discuss how the ways that we communicate through social media, texting, blogging (both locally and globally) influence the ways that we perceive the world. Find a video (some interesting ones on TED.com) or a news article that provides support for your discussion.

Your submission should be approximately 500 words and include sociological concepts from your text as well as some of your own ideas as well as information from your selected video or article. (please include the link to your article or video.)