Marshall McLuhan was a Canadian philosopher who is famous for his ideas about media and communication theory. His most famous theory is the media being the message- that is to say, what we say matters less than how we choose to say it. McLuhan argues that the forms and methods (the media) used to communicate information have a significant impact on the messages they deliver. Eg: a hand-written letter vs. a text.
When I first learned of McLuhan's theory, I was against it. What could matter more than what we want to say in the first place? Sure, the media is important, but why was the media more important? As time went on, however, I began to understand where this theory was applied and how it makes sense in a cultural context.
Now, I'm conflicted about this theory. The media does have more of an impact on society and the evolution of technology within that society, but only because we choose to use it. Social media apps like Snapchat only stay relevant (and continue to shape how we communicate) because it's something that is used predominantly throughout the masses. If Snapchat was deleted and disregarded by society- it wouldn't continue to have an impact, and it would no longer be 'the message.'
I'm still working out how I feel about the media being the overarching message. After all, each media is simply a tool, but as Marshall McLuhan says, “we become what we behold. We shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us.”
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