The Medium is the Message - McLuhan

"The medium is the message" is one of the fundamental concepts of McLuhan's thought.

According to McLuhan, when analyzing a medium (such as television, print, or radio), one should not focus on the content it transmits (for example, the type of movie or radio program).

It is the medium itself, and not the content it conveys, that profoundly influences users, shaping their way of thinking.

EXAMPLE OF TELEVISION:

Whether television broadcasts a soccer match, a movie, or a documentary is not what matters; the real message, the actual influence on society, is represented by television itself.

According to McLuhan, television primarily works by "comforting" and "reassuring" the viewer.

Now, you will interact with a small television and try to discover its real message, beyond the content it transmits.

How it works: You control the paddle at the bottom.

DEBRIEFING

The exercise you just completed follows McLuhan's approach: "It is by standing outside a structure or medium that one can identify its principles and forces."

Regardless of the messages it transmits, the small square you played with functions as a dynamic element, similar to the role a ball would play in other interactive contexts.

As McLuhan would say, analyzing that small square solely as a medium conveying content is a mistake.

What is the real message of television in the experience you just had?