Analyzing Smartphone Apps through McLuhan’s Tetrad Concept

Analyzing Smartphone Apps through McLuhan’s Tetrad Concept
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Introduction
In 1975, Marshall McLuhan conceptualized the laws of the media where he stated that no medium exists in isolation from other media (McLuhan, 1975). As such, the laws of medium or concept of tetrad were specifically conceptualized to demonstrate that medium does not exist in isolation (McLuhan, 1967). According to McLuhan, all human artifacts are human utterances and at the same time, the etymology of every technology exists in the human body (McLuhan, 1967). The tetrad concept through its four sections: enhancement, reverse into, retrieves, and obsolesces, are key in understanding media (McLuhan, 1975). Each medium according to McLuhan “amplifies” or “enhances” a particular characteristic of human society. Radio, for example, amplifies speech so it breaks the barrier of space and boundary (Schachter, 2020). Every time a new medium is introduced it potentially render an existing media “obsolete” and each medium ultimately “reverses into” another medium over time. Smartphone application culture is a new phenomenon, and their existence plays a significant role in influencing pop culture (Schachter, 2020). Every smartphone carries with it several applications ranging from news app, maps/navigation, music apps (Spotify), social networking (TikTok, facebook), among others. Advancement in smartphone technology has triggered rise of apps that has since impacted many areas including heath, business, social life, and education. Following the framework of McLuhan’s laws of the media, this paper explores the consequences of smartphones app culture on human interactions today.
The Law Of The Media/ The Tetrad Concept
In the law of the media, McLuhan explored the effects of media on society. Through the Tetrad (group of four) McLuhan asked and answered four questions. First, what does a medium enhance or improve, accelerate, or make possible? McLuhan believes that a new medium intensifies or improves the capabilities of its users since it is considered an extension of the human (McLuhan, 1967). Secondly, what does the medium push aside or renders obsolete? Every emerging medium renders an existing medium irrelevant or less in status. Thirdly, what does the new medium retrieved that has initially become obsolete? Every new medium brings back what was lost but in a new form (McLuhan, 1975). Finally, when pushed to an extreme end what does a medium flit into? According to McLuhan, when a medium is pushed to an end, it undergoes metamorphosis to become a new medium with original characteristics. Overall, the laws of media offer humans a clear understanding of both the present and the past. McLuhan reiterated the fact that each new technology brought about massive changes in the social, personal, political, and aesthetic aspects. For example, the interactive communication facilitated by smartphone applications has led to major changes in authority. Smartphone apps have led to self-publishing, easy buying, advanced entertainment, talent discovery, and also created a platform for buyers and sellers to meet (Schachter, 2020). As such, since the conceptualization of laws of media or Tetrad, several changes have occurred in the technological landscape, which has consequently altered the ways of life. The tetrad concept and framework make it possible to understand smartphones applications and how they have altered different aspects of human life.
Applying Tetrad Concept on Smartphone App Culture
In the past few decades, it was radio, films, and TVs which broadened the scope of our popular culture. TVs and radios in the early 2000 for example gave access to faraway places. However, smartphones and app culture have multiplied the pluralization of spaces and life contexts almost ten folds (Schachter, 2020). With smartphone apps, people can work online, share information, learn, educate others, communicate, among others. Smartphone apps are the epitome of media convergence as they have triggered merger of many media including picture, music, radio, film, texts, sounds, among others (McLuhan, 1967). Smartphone apps offer the links, paths, and trails which connect one digital space to the other, making it possible to many different channels at the same time. McLuhan had already prophesied of such instances when he said that TVs gave humans a feeling of connection "connected with everything, that everything is happening now at the same instant…” (McLuhan, 1967).
According to Logan Cooper, (2020) the elegance of design and usability of technology such as smartphones, has led to overwhelming success in today’s society. Smartphones, which are defined as advanced handheld mobile devices, possess the major aspects of McLuhan’s Tehran's concepts including “elegance” and “usability” (Adam, 2016). Since they were introduced to the market in 1994 smartphones have enhanced communication greatly. They have not only increased access and convenience to the internet but also made it possible for app culture to thrive. According to Nielsen App Playbook (2021), the ten most downloaded apps include TikTok, Facebook, Intragram, WhatsApp, T...