Blog 2: “The Medium Is the Message” — Marshall Mcluhan
Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan defines “the medium is the message”. What does this mean exactly? Effects of the mass media on our lives but not the content but the attention and experience we have when interacting with mediums and platforms. The technology around us has changed entirely as It is us that dictate which technologies are moving forward and which are to be prioritised. First let’s start with an example. Let’s face it, back in the day before 1999, social media was not present at the time and the only source of technological interaction was the television. Nowadays we have completely shifted from televisions to smart phones, tablets and other portable screen devices. This is because humankind has desired the form of holding the power of the web in the palm of your hand wherever you go. This of course is both good and bad. However, we must understand this is besides the point of the content but rather the form of the technologies we use everyday of our lives.
Unlimited knowledge in the palm of our hands…
Now isn’t that amazing?
What’s your excuse for not learning something new every day?
Or not knowing how to do something… Just “Google it!”
That’s the term people have become accustomed to saying once someone raises a query instead of wasting a drop of spit to help or explain something. This really restricts social human interaction as we’ve become way more dependent on these devices today. I personally for example would not have passed my Mathematics and Physics A levels if it were not for YouTube tutorials explaining how to solve ridiculously complex equations. Just play, pause, take note and repeat till you learn the material. That’s not easy to do with a person now, is it? This is a short blog I wrote to describe what I learnt from Marshall McLuhan’s statement when he says “the medium is the message” as many of us take the medium for granted and just focus on the content within the media. Not that the content is not important as it does affect our mental health and decision making. However, the medium is also important to observe and understand. So, remember due to all of the technological advancements of having all knowledge in the palm of your hand, everything is happening at once at “It’s just all now”