Marshall McLuhan was a renowned media theorist and philosopher. In the 1960s, he introduced the concept of the “rearview mirror” to elucidate how new technologies and media reshape societies and individuals.
For McLuhan, the rearview mirror metaphorically represents our tendency to perceive and understand new technologies and media through our past experiences and frameworks. We tend to project the values, assumptions, and biases of the past onto the present and future. This, in turn, limits our understanding of the transformative potential of emerging technologies.
In the modern era, media has evolved significantly. This has led to profound changes in how we communicate, interact, and understand the world. According to McLuhan, different media forms, such as the written word, print, television, and the internet, introduce new modes of information processing and cultural organization. These new modes subsequently shape our perceptions and behaviors. But despite these transformations, we often cling to outdated mental models. Instead of looking forward, we interpret new media through the lens of the old. This creates dissonance between our old values and the new realities of the digital age.
Technological Determinism and the Rearview Mirror
McLuhan’s rearview mirror has been tied to technological determinism: the idea that technological advancements exert a formative influence on human societies and individuals, altering the way we think, relate, and organize ourselves. Today, there is increasing skepticism about whether technological determinism is a useful framework for helping us understand how our world works. So I can see how some might also question the utility of McLuhan’s rearview mirror.
But even if we accept contemporary skepticism about the idea of technological determinism, I think the rearview mirror concept remains useful, because it centers more on the psychological and perceptual effects of media rather than the broader sociocultural implications of technological determinism.
McLuhan’s rearview mirror encourages us to think about how individuals and societies often interpret new technologies through the lens of their existing cultural and intellectual frameworks, and it highlights the inclination to carry forward past assumptions and biases when encountering new media or technologies.
The Rearview Mirror in 2023
In 2023, rapid advancements in technology, including artificial intelligence, augmented reality, blockchain, and biotechnology, continue to shape various aspects of our lives, ranging from work and communication to privacy and identity. Yet, our inclination to interpret these developments using familiar mental models from the past can hinder our ability to fully comprehend and harness their potential.
Further, McLuhan’s rearview mirror underscores how cultural and social structures often lag behind technological advancements. Today, this is observable in debates surrounding online privacy, intellectual property law, misinformation, the gig economy, and the ethical implications of emerging technologies, where existing legal, social, and ethical frameworks struggle to adapt.
Digital media, in particular, exemplifies the rearview mirror effect. The democratization of content creation and dissemination through social media platforms has disrupted traditional gatekeepers of information and introduced new avenues for self-expression and participation. However, the rapid spread of misinformation, echo chambers, and online harassment reveal the continued application of old patterns and biases in these new digital contexts.
Takeways
So where does that leave us? Can we navigate around the pitfalls of McLuhan’s rearview mirror? I think the answer is a qualified “yes.” But doing so requires us to cultivate adaptive thinking and critical awareness. We must engage with new technologies critically and reflexively, questioning our assumptions and the potential consequences they may have on society. This is especially important for those of us over the age of 40, because we have a lot more to look at in our rearview mirrors than do younger people.
By recognizing the influence of the rearview mirror, we can become active participants in shaping the future rather than passive recipients of technological change.