The essence of McLuhan’s essay lies in the fact that the medium through which a message is conveyed has a direct impact on the impression that the message itself has on it’s audience. And, with any device that can be wielded by a human, comes a deep sense of responsibility in the sense that it can have both beneficial, or detrimental effects, depending on how it is used. He says “Firearms are in themselves neither good nor bad, it is the way that it is used that determines its value.” This is such a timely statement in the present-day context because of how the Internet has evolved to become an information super-highway. And, it is important to take into account what sort of information travels across this highway, and to whom. For instance, various terror propaganda groups are notorious for using online social media to recruit members and spread malicious content. On the other side of the spectrum, there are the major corporations that favour certain content providers over others, creating an unequal environment where the ability to consume, produce and convey your content is determined by your financial and/or political prowess. Technological advancements in certain sectors have the potential to create societal disparities as well. For example, certain education systems employ the use of modern multimedia and other technologies to deliver content, while others utilize traditional, analogue media such as blackboards and chalk as a medium. And, in the field like education, the medium plays a pivotal role in determining how well the content is delivered and understood. Another sector that relies heavily on the medium of conveyance is the entertainment industry. With virtual and augmented realities becoming more mainstream and accessible, both producers and consumers alike, now have an additional choice when it comes to selecting how they wish to consume content. This also creates more opportunities for expression since newer media allow for more interaction, involvement and immersion than ever before.
At the end of the day, like how the electric light in McLuhan’s essay was a medium for a spectrum of things, the Internet could also be considered to be very similar in that sense, and it is upto us to determine how useful or destructive it will be to society.