**Understanding Media and Technology via the Maelstrom vortex story **

The metaphor of a person trapped in a vortex symbolizes the average person engulfed in a media and technological landscape. There are powerful forces at play in this environment that often go unnoticed but can be understood by studying their details and patterns. By gaining awareness of these influences, individuals may be able to navigate through and potentially surpass them. Developing an understanding of how media and technology impact individuals' psyches is crucial, according to McLuhan. He aims to create this understanding by discussing the changes in media and technology throughout history to uncover elements that Western culture lost centuries ago. The first step in this process is to delve into his theory on media and technology.