Traffic in Maryland

So, I’m sitting in traffic on my way back from Maryland – no, I’m not driving – and we are sitting in the car at a dead stop. Because of this, two forms of media have made themselves apparent to me.

First, without the radio, we wouldn’t be able to find out why there is such a huge traffic jam and how long it’s estimated to take. With the amount of information given, very limited, I’d say this is a “cool medium,” according to MacLuhan. I am given some information, but I cannot see the accident, as I would be able to on news channels on TV. I know a little about what’s going on, but I’m left guessing and filling in blanks with mental images of the accident, hoping no one is severely hurt and that we will soon be going at least 5 miles an hour. (According to the GPS, we have gone .1 miles in the last 15 minutes.)

The second medium I have become more aware of is my GPS system. I’d have to say it is, in fact, a medium, because it is a means of information; not only does it give directions, but it can find essentially any place you’d want to go, as well as predicting traffic problems. I think that GPS devices have created social change, the definition of technological determinism. It’s a sad fact, but I do pay less attention to road names and landmarks because I have a GPS; it tells me exactly when to turn, so it isn’t necessary for me to do any work. I’ve noticed this in many people. Conversations I’ve had go something like this:

“Do you know how to get there?” No? Oh, okay, well you turn on Johnson and –“
“No, it’s okay, I have my GPS.”

Human knowledge of directions is irrelevant anymore. My family just recently moved to Maryland from Florida in September, and my dad has to travel about 30 minutes to work. Though he has been attending his new job for about 2 months, he still uses his GPS to get there and back; he’s become reliant on the GPS because there’s no reason to know the route. This is definitely a social change. Because I use my GPS so often, I have come to need it even around school. People are less aware of their surroundings. As my dad says, “GPS devices have made people stupid.” The GPS itself has changed society.

Here's a picture of my friend Tom, the cause of my direction-ignorance: