Bernard Stigler's Theory of Media Technology and Impact on Communication Studies

Abstract: In todays digital era, media technology is critical in shaping modern society. Accompanied by the rapid development of digital technology, the functions and roles of the media have undergone tremendous changes, and the speed, quality, and ways in which people access information have undergone unprecedented changes. Advances in media technology have reshaped how people interact with the outside world and profoundly impacted culture, cognition, and identity. Bernard Stiegle's media technology theory provides a theoretical framework for re-examining the relationship between humans and technology from a technological perspective. Stiegle argues that technology is both a tool for human development and the second origin of human beings. By proposing the theory of 'tertiary retention,' the crucial role of technology in the externalization of memory is revealed. Technology acts as both an antidote and a poison, facilitating the progress of human society and posing significant risks. In the digital age, changes in media technology have brought about problems such as cultural homogenization, identity crisis, and systemic ignorance and even led to the proletarianization of social consciousness. Stiegler's theory criticizes the logic of capitalism behind digital technology and argues that human beings must re-examine their relationship with technology to avoid falling into a technologically dominated cultural dilemma.