Response to "The Medium is the Massage"

    Never before have I received so many questions and odd looks as I did while reading The Medium is the Massage.  The quirky layout and non-linear story did, however, make this book particularly enjoyable to read.  The pictures and small segments of text were both interesting and informative, and presented content in a way that really made me think of what the main points of the book were.
    Throughout the book, I was intrigued by the views presented on the topic of childhood and how it has changed over the centuries.  Even when I listen to my grandparent's stories of their childhood, I can see the vast difference in how youth was treated two generations ago versus how they are treated in modern society.  Work, for example, is something that we reserve for people who are old enough to "handle the responsibility" of a job.  The earliest age requirement for many jobs in my home state is 15 or 16 with parental consent, but my grandfather reminisces stories of working in paper mills at a much younger age and in a far more hazardous environment.  Though the new mentality of having children put education before work is a safer method, I feel the book presents a strong argument that the education system has become overbearing for many children who want to start work at earlier ages.
    The other key point this book presented was the idea of media evolution as it relates to our senses as well as our individual success.  The strongest example I found for this argument was the quote from Socrates that predicts future students/disciples will "trust written characters rather than remember their own memories."  I agree with this prediction even in the digital world, even more so than in the written media.  By changing the form of media from written (where you are actively thinking about what you are writing) to digital media (hitting keys or clicking links), I can see how involving less active thinking could result in less retention.
    Though I don't feel The Medium is the Massage gives proper credit to the true knowledge base that is digital media, I can see how it limits us in the amount of information we retain.  It was also interesting to stop and think about how the change of media has impacted society.  Though this book is fun to read and presents good information, the true meanings require much more effort than simply reading and interpretation.