The Global Positioning System (GPS) has been a beneficial technological breakthrough since the 1980's. It is a system based on a network of 24 satellites that orbit the earth thousands of miles above us. There are several contents put into this system that have changed the lives of many traveling civilians. These contents include: road map, directions, speed limit, distance, approximate arrival time, sound system, alternate routes, and a thermometer. Since searching online for directions, or following a road map is slow and inconvenient, the GPS makes it easy. The only thing you must do is type in the destination of your choice, and it will lay out full directions for you. According to McLuhan, the message the GPS gives has the real effect on society. The GPS causes a shift in technology. People become less and less dependent on their own skills and abilities, and learn to rely on technology. First, there was a change from using a road map to using mapquest online, which give you simple, printable directions. Now, the GPS eliminates both of those options, and just allows you to type in the address of your destination. Also, there has been a shift in communication. Instead of communicating with other people, for example, to get directions to your desired location, the only question you must ask is, "what is the address?" And once you have a response, the conversation is over, and the GPS does the rest of the work from there. The GPS has been beneficial in the fact that it is easy to use and requires basically no work at all, but it is also harmful to society because it makes us very dependent.