by Dr. David Fialkoff, Editor / Publisher

In 1964 Marshall McLuhan declared, with groundbreaking clarity, that "The Medium is the Message," forever changing the way we look at media. While the rest of us were focused on the content (Johnson vs Goldwater, Vietnam, The Beatles and the Stones...), McLuhan insisted that the way information is presented is more significant than the information itself. That is, the packaging affects our opinions more than the content itself.

Television, the medium through which we took in the world, was the big driver. It was, until the internet came along, and the 56 cable TV channels gave way to a near-infinity of websites and podcasts.

Our perception of the world was different when, on one of only three networks, Walter Cronkite could close his newscast by saying, "And that's the way it is." But it wasn't only our perception of the world that was different, it was our world itself.

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Back then the Message didn't just come from TV; the Message was TV. Today, the Message doesn't just come from an unlimited, competitive, digital ecosystem; the Message is that chaotic digital ecosystem.

Not two centuries ago, the average person never ventured more than 30 miles from home, and almost never came close to doing so. Today, we digitally travel around the world as fast as we can click our mouse or touch the pad. We used to be exposed mainly to neighbors, who, with some slight variations, were much the same as us. Now we are exposed to a kaleidoscopic multitude of cultures and lifestyles. (The majority of dissent in Iran comes from people watching prohibited American television shows.)

Others have observed that this exposure has changed our expectations. While we used to be satisfied with the boy or girl next door, now we want someone from the global elite, or who gives the impression that they are. Others have observed that having too many choices causes dissatisfaction. Recently I became aware of this phenomenon at work in my life.

While I work at things that demand much less than my total concentration (often while ChatGPT does the hard work) I listen to a lot of scholarly YouTube videos. Doing so, I've admired the erudition that comes from the devotion of a great mind to a particular subject matter: physics, history, biology... Exposed to such world-class expertise, I've had occasion to reflect unfavorably on my own accomplishments.

Of course, I realize that these academic luminaries, possess truly enormous intellectual talent, that each of them is genetically fewer than one in a million. But still, it gives me pause to think about what I might have learned, had I devoted myself with complete focus.

More recently, (letting myself off the hook) it's occurred to me that this comparison is not fair, that I am comparing the one of me to the many of them. Like the lion, who is befuddled by so many moving stripes, I need to focus on just one zebra. The historian knows history. The physicist has mastered physics. The biologist is intimate with biology. What do I know?

Envy is a tricky thing. You might envy someone's wealth or accomplishments, but would you make the sacrifices that person made to attain those? I said to the aged patriarch of the family next door, while we conversed one late afternoon on his front stoop, "They traded most of their time to get their money. Would you trade your free time to have the wealth that these foreigners have?" He shook his head, declining the proposal.

Just so, as I go about envying these academics' accomplishments, I ask myself what I asked my nextdoor neighbor; Would I give up what makes me me, to have what they've achieved? Would I trade my talents for theirs? And like my next door neighbor, I have to shake my head and decline the offer.

The Beatles had a drummer before Ringo, before fame struck. Peter Best claims to be glad that he left The Beatles (or was sacked), and I believe him. I myself have spent my share of time crying over spilt milk, lamenting opportunities missed or outright ruined. But now, I'm largely happy to be right where I am: writing and publishing, living meditatively, getting a post-graduate education on YouTube, with my cupboard full and, out my second floor window up here on the hill, a great view of the best little city in the world, amusing myself and hopefully you. It may not be the bigtime, but it's all right.

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Dr. David Fialkoff presents Lokkal, our local social network, the community online and off, Atención robustly reborn for the digital age. If you can, please do contribute content, or your hard-earned cash, to support Lokkal, SMA's Voice. Use the orange, Paypal donate button below. Thank you.

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