The Medium is the Message

"The Medium is the message," is a well known quote stated in Marshall McLuhan's book Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man. The phrase is basically stating that different forms of media can affect a viewer in different ways. The information that the media sends to the viewer depends on how it is sent. This theory basically describes how we can perceive objects differently be it in a book or over the tv. I agree with the basic concepts of McLuhan's theory but also feel that digital media has been able to bring information into a more sensible nature.

The ideas that are expressed by McLuhan can still be seen today. People have easily been able to see the entire world through their computer instead of actually physically going there. The wonders that were once read in a book can now be produced using different programs on the computer. A person reading the news from a paper is only able to get a sense of a scene while someone who is watching the scene unfold on tv sees the entire situation. All of this different mediums send different messages and even are able to sell products differently. When a car is seen in motion and a user is able to see the entire interior they begin to have more interest then seeing a flat image in black and white. But McLuhan's thoughts on important content not getting to the viewer has sortuf faded out due to the internet.

The introduction of the internet showed people that their voices can be heard to a certain extent. People have been allowed to comment on news articles right away and blog about a situation that deeply affects them. By allowing this usabilty people have been able to read directly what they need to know and actually not be seen differently due to the medium. But the internet is also a double-edged sword. This is mostly due to the uncredibilty of most posters and the sense that most people will lie and can lie on the internet.

So do I agree with McLuhan or not? Well it's a little bit up in the air. Different mediums have been able to produce different images in people's minds. People can pick up a book and read through it saying it was an incredible novel. While someone could watch the cinema version and say that it was silly and made no sense. But this could all be due to the way we perceive what a book should provide you and what a movie should. The digital world has been able to deteriorate the theory a little bit and actually be seen as something that is there to give you all the facts. That too has issues and most people might see it as an entire network of lies and people looking to profit from false information.