Video Killed the Radio Star and "The Medium is the Message"

I happened to turn on AXS TV during halftime of a World Cup game, and they had program featuring the creative exploits of Duran Duran. A lead singer of the band immediately made statement that connected with literacy and the constant inquiry educators often have around new mediums for expression, especially in this age of constant technological advancement. He said of about music videos (and I'm paraphrasing):
"There was a new medium available, and you had to get involved or else you ended up being left behind."
As new mediums for expression develop, it's crucial for literacy specialists in particular and educators in general to consider ways in which it can be used to express ideas and communicate, while maintaining a balance of these new mediums with traditional mediums and skills that students should know. For example, I would like to do more to explore twitter, instagram, and the vine as means for expression, but I also want my students to be able to write academic essays with thesis statements and organized support. When it comes to language capabilities, I always try to emphasize dynamism and complexity with my students. I believe they can and should be able to master multiple forms of communication. New mediums, however, tend to be a lot of fun and a way for more students to access a more sophisticated understanding of literacy, since that is where many of them are already expressing themselves.

This seems like an appropriate place to mention Marshall McLuhan and his famous thesis, "The medium is the message."