Bring on Da Challenge ;): The Medium is the Message

The medium is the message... or is it?

Marshall McLuhen also states that media is an extension of our bodies.

Marshall McLuhan, a notorious theorist born in the early twentieth century, believes so. At first glance, it seems as if the claim is only relevant to his time period, where a wide variety of media were arising, such as the television, radio and computer. People were so fascinated by their capabilities that they don’t even process the information that is being conveyed. Instead, only the fact that there is something appearing before their eyes or playing in their ears is what’s important. However, in nowadays, many may argue against what McLuhan has to say.

i.e. the iPod is an extension of the ear, the laptop and cell phone is an extension of the hands and the television, the eyes.

To me, I feel like the message is actually the medium, meaning that the delivery of the message is dependent on the medium. If a news breaking story is printed on the newspaper, it would attract less attention than if it was posted on the internet from someone’s Facebook post, or as a featured video on YouTube etc. Because technology plays such a huge role in our lives nowadays, we depend on it to live, connect and interact with other people and gain knowledge. Now, this isn’t entirely all that horrible. Information is easily accessible and it is said that knowledge is power; therefore, it can also be quite useful.

However, upon further research into McLuhan’s theory, I realized that when he states that people only see the obvious, he is not wrong either. When I first read the quote, I took it for its face value, but now I know that it is more than that. The majority of us, as McLuhan claims, are oblivious to the underlying change that comes with new innovations and inventions. With every new idea, we can anticipate the advantages and disadvantages. The consequences, on the other hand, are left unseen until they actually appear.

For example, the innovation of Facebook is great! People are able to communicate with each other, share photos and post statuses while others can comment and stir discussion on the posts. However, sometimes, we get so used to posting our feelings that occasionally, we express ourselves too much. We give away private information, thinking only a small number of people will see. We also distant ourselves from each other because it is simply more convenient to stay at home and catch up on each other’s’ lives than to go out and see one another.

Media can have negative consequences as it can discourage face-to-face interaction, and almost enslaving the consumers into the products.

Ultimately, what McLuhan means when he states that the medium is the message is that the new innovations are changing lifestyles and how people interact with each other. His ‘message’ is that society is constantly changing in its pace and routines as different mediums are introduced into our lives.