The section titled “McLuhan and Media’s Messages” (pp. 22–26) in J.D. Applen’s Old Media, New Media, and Knowledge goes into influential media theories, particularly his assertion that “the medium is the message.” Applen dissection of how McLuhan’s ideas cultivate different media forms that shape human perception, communication, and societal structures.
At first glance, most people focus on the message and the content being shared. However, McLuhan flips this perspective and draws attention to the medium itself. In his view, the technology or platform through which the message is delivered plays an equally, if not more, important role. McLuhan argues that a medium’s structure and sensory experience profoundly influence how people think, behave, and interact with one another.
Moreover, the effects of a medium often operate beneath our awareness. We might assume that media are just tools for transmitting ideas, but McLuhan challenges us to look deeper. In many cases, the medium subtly shapes our experiences, priorities, and even our cultural values. For instance, the rise of smartphones hasn’t just changed how we access information, it’s changed how we socialize, how we manage time, and even how we define personal space.
According to Applen, media extend our senses and reshape how we engage with the world. For example, McLuhan highlights the light bulb as a medium that doesn’t carry traditional “content.” Yet, it changes human behavior by enabling activity after dark. Therefore, even a seemingly simple technology can completely reorganize social life. Streetlights, headlights, and lit storefronts all extend human presence into the night, affecting work schedules, safety, and leisure. This example reinforces McLuhan’s point: media don’t need to deliver content to make an impact; they can change us simply through their presence and function, often without us realizing the full extent of their influence.
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