Marshall McLuhan

The Medium is the Message
Matt McConnell
ICS 1002
October 11, 2016

Marshall McLuhan was widely known as a communication theorist, and professor of English at the University of Toronto. During the 1960’s, he became internationally recognized for his study of mass media, and its effect on though and behaviour. His most notable ideas included coining the term “global village” and predicting the World Wide Web 30 years before it was invented, but his most important theory is that “the medium is the message.”

In 1964, McLuhan released his most widely known work, “Understanding Media: The

Extension of Man.” In his work, he proposed that the medium itself, not the content, should be the focus of what was studied. “He suggests that a hammer extends our arm and that the wheel extends our legs and feet. Each enables us to do more than our bodies could do on their own. Similarly, the medium of language extends our thoughts from within our mind out to others.1” The hammer and wheel are tools, or in this sense, the medium. Language is no different. It is one tool, used to communicate thoughts. To differentiate between these tools and effectiveness, McLuhan discussed the differences between “hot” and “cool” media.

        When McLuhan discussed hot media, he was referring to visual space. Hot media are usually in high definition, and doesn’t demand much participation by the user. Examples of hot media are print or radio, which are full of information and allowed the user to use less sensory completion when reading or listening. During an interview in 1965, McLuhan described the slang term “cool” as involved, deeply participative, and deeply engaged. The audience has to work to supply the gaps in the information that is given. It Is considered to be low definition, and requires high participation from the user. An example of cool media is television. It lacks in information and requires a higher sensory involvement by the reader.