When Quantum Culture Opposes Elon Musk’s Thinking

Marshall McLuhan (1911-1980), the renowned sociologist and communication scholar, famously stated in the late 1960s that "the medium is the message." Though social media did not yet exist, he foresaw that communication tools would wield greater influence than the messages they conveyed. Fast forward six decades, when a few days ago Musk encapsulated this idea in a single tweet: "You are the media now." This places individuals at the center of communication, signaling a revolutionary shift.

Derrick de Kerckhove, widely regarded as the spiritual successor to Marshall McLuhan, shares his perspective in this exclusive Luxury Tribune interview, offering an analysis of how communication is reshaping modern society. "McLuhan predicted much of what we see today—just look at Elon Musk," explains de Kerckhove. "An intelligent populist, Musk panders to over 200 million followers, likely including 150 million Americans, many of whom also support Trump. Meanwhile, he shapes public opinion with a single voice—his own—which aligns with that of the future U.S. president. Together, these two angry narcissists address a discontented audience, fostering a global sentiment of antihumanism. This undermines democracy, which relies on the exchange of meaning between individuals, and replaces it with a 'datacracy.' In Musk’s case, this system is further degraded by eroding trust in communication, ultimately harming social cohesion. I fear we are witnessing a phenomenon that could escalate into a global catastrophe."