“The Medium is the Message” written by Marshall McLuhan illustrates the idea that the message is something that’s content is recognized by its audience in order to communicate information. It is this message of any medium (or technology) that changes the pattern it introduces into human affairs. He gives the example of a railway in which not only improves our transportation of course, but also led to the creation of accessing more cities and gave us more leisure. I found his description of “content” using the electric light very interesting in which he explains how when performing surgery or during a nighttime baseball game, electric light is essential or else you couldn’t perform these things without it. This content is what therefore shapes our actions and human association, as we are shaped by the technology we use.
Machinery and technology are so central and superficial in its involvement with human relationships that it now affects our sight, sound, and even written perception of things without us even realizing it. As McLuhan puts it, we are “numb in our new electric world.” His text forces us to look into how technology has affected our own lives. I’ve noticed personally that without my phone or computer, I almost feel incomplete. So many aspects of my life now revolve around technology (School, email, social media, etc), these “mediums” change my perception of the world and change my communication. While this all has great benefits and advantages, it also can give false illusions (like beauty stereotypes) and even disconnect people from reality.