As demonstrated in the title, “The Medium is the Message”, McLuhan highlights the significance of the medium over the actual content of the information. In other words, the way how the knowledge or idea is delivered has a stronger effect on people’s perception than the information itself has. In fact, just as we receive differently depending on whether the information is conveyed through speaking or writing, it is not surprising to argue that the method of communication impacts people. For example, in a situation where we send a message to others, we may just type the words that we want to deliver. However, instead of written language, the words can be substituted by emoji, which alters the overall ambiance of the communication. One thing that shocked me the most was that McLuhan published the article in 1967, the time even before the Internet had existed. This might reemphasize the importance of the medium in nowadays where a myriad of data flows around us.
It is undeniable that technological development has offered diverse ways of delivering ideas; however, we have to be aware of the impacts of the medium and be cautious not to distort the essence of the information while taking advantage of it.