Grove City College's Dr. T. David Gordon and Media Ecology

This past weekend Grove City College graciously loaned out one of their own to those of us at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, AL. Dr. T. David Gordon, a Grove City College professor and good friend of our pastor, Dr. Wingard, spent the weekend educating those of us in attendance on...media ecology. I hear all of you collectively asking, what is media ecology? Glad you asked!

Dr. Gordon defines media ecology as the interest in human environment and the many new different media's impact on that human environment. Media ecologists are interested in the effect of the intake of multiple kinds of media, and what that intake does to a human being. They are not interested in the effect of the content on the human, but instead, they are interested in the effect of the process and prolonged exposure to that process on the human.

The conference made me think deeply about my use of television, music, and certain communication devices, like my blackberry. Dr. Gordon spoke on the whole idea of news as not really being news. News, he stated, has become a commodity and is dictated by money. What is news today is not news, but instead, it is that which will sell newspapers, air time, and the such.

Dr. Gordon forced me to think about priorities. My priority right now is to go to sleep which forces me to only leave you with some of his random comments. I assure you, he was not random; in fact I believe he is a brilliant mind. We may not agree on all things, but he motivates me to a deeper walk with my Savior.

I now leave you with some of Dr. Gordon's thoughts. Dwell on them for some time instead of answering that cell phone or watching that television show, and let me know if your life was richer or poorer for it

Random Thought 1: We make tools and tools make us.

Random Thought 2: What was once distant is now proximate and now the proximate is less important (think of how many times you interrupt a conversation to answer your cell phone).

Random Thought 3: Television can only handle the inconsequential; nothing of significance can be attained from television.

Random Thought 4: Pictures always lie; pictures deceive us in multiple ways.

That is all for now. Happy thinking!