The medium is the message means that although an invention was created for a certain purpose its true “message” is the deeper social or culture change it will bring to an unknowing society. “It is not the content or use of the innovation, but the change in inter-personal dynamics that the innovation brings with it”(Federman).
Lets’ use Twitter as an example. Twitter was created by Jack Dorsey in 2008 and in only 2 years acquired more than 175 million users. While its cultural impacts are still being created and it’s “McLuhan Message” has yet to be seen it’s already caused changes in society.
The traditional medium of Twitter, is the internet. And I guess the message behind Twitter is whatever, the user wants it to be. The universal message could be “now you have even more freedom of speech.” However, the “McLuhan medium” of twitter would be the ability it gives human to put their voices and thoughts literally into the floating space that is the internet. When you tweet, no one has to acknowledge it. But you can be sure someone read it. It’s literally like writing in a diary and showing it to the world; whether they give you feedback on what you write is up to them. The “McLuhan message” is the change this new medium can bring.
Other “McLuhan Messages” could possibly be the strange phenomena of people suddenly having nothing to talk about in person, because they already tweeted it and held conversations on the internet. Or perhaps people will lose the ability to filter their selves because of the freedom that twitter gives its users. Or perhaps one day a Trending Topic on Twitter will inspire a turn of events that will change the world. While that has yet to be seen, Federman summed it up best when he said “ a medium - this extension of our body or senses or mind - is anything from which a change emerges.”
When the car was invented it was simply an extension of the human’s legs and it was intended to help us get from one place to another, as well as replace our dependence on horse and buggies. However one unanticipated consequence that came with our dependence on automobiles was the fact that combined with alcohol driving automobiles results in death. Alcohol related deaths are the number cause of death of young Americans. When the car was first invented and popularized the society did not realize that one day in the future, driving could possibly mean the end of your life, even if you haven’t been drinking. In fact, once society did realize this fact it took years for people to stop drunk driving. And to date thousands still die from it.
In relation to radio the “McLuhan Message” is found in the innovative idea of having advertisers pay for radio. In her essay “Early Radio”, Susan Douglas reminds us, “…there was nothing inevitable about the way radio came to be financed and regulated. This was a contested process, with educators and labor organizers, corporate interests, amateur operators, and the government all advancing their very different visions for the future.”In the beginning, the innovators thought their idea would bring about revenue and more opportunities for radio. They did not think about the impending annoyance their audience would face from the constant advertisements. Radio which was possibly one of the last of the personal media devices until the iPod was invented was like a refuge from the world. At the time TV was neglecting a lot of its fans and being that radio was localized one could feel at “home” when listening to it. Decades later, devices such as personal CD players, walkmans, iPods and TiVo would all be invented to stop the uncontrollable influx of advertisements which, at first, seemed like such a good idea.
In conclusion, “McLuhan Messages” are being discovered in our media every day. Because the messages are so un-obvious and occur through changes in society, they take years to notice. But the fact that we can see the change and acknowledge its happenings means that the society is still able to change which is always a good thing.
Douglas, Susan. “Early Radio” Communication in History Sixth Edition 2011
Federman, M. (2004, July 23). What is the Meaning of the Medium is the Message? Retrieved
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