Medium is the platform in all things which allows for change. A change is something that implies movement from one specific position to another. This movement does not necessarily imply physical motion; movement can be as simple as the alteration of thought, light or sound. Sir Newton Isaac said that an object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an external force. If it were possible for everything in this world to be at rest and remain at rest then there would be no need for a medium of any type. However, external force in this case shall be synonymous with both movement and change because they are necessary in order for our world to exist and continue to exist. Media, the plural of medium can be qualified as the intermediary emotions, objects, or tools that facilitate movements and change.
Humans for the most part are in tune and can identify their own feelings. We understand that these feelings can fluctuate due to certain events and occurrences. An example of this fluctuation is how a warm sunny day can elicit happiness and joy yet our mood can change to gloom and frustration if that sunny day is then tainted by bitter rain. The medium that assists these types of mood swings can be identified as emotion. Although the weather acts as the external force which stimulates our change in feelings, internally our emotions act as the medium which allows for this change.
McLuhan states in, Understanding Media, The Extensions of Man that, “The electric light is pure information. It is a medium without a message” (8). McLuhan is correct by identifying the light bulb as an object in which acts as the medium. However, he is incorrect by stating that electric light is a medium without a message. The emitted light which is produced is the change or message in itself. A light bulb by itself serves very little purpose. Yet, when acted on by an outside force such as electricity, together they can generate light. The light bulb in this situation is the object that acts as a medium and facilitates the movement from dark to light.
A musical instrument by itself is an example of a tool that when at rest, will remain at rest until acted on by an outside force. This tool when at rest cannot produce noise, movement, or change of any kind. However, silence can be changed to sound once external force is applied to the musical instrument. It is at this point that the tool is acting as a medium and facilitating the organized noise. And it is this beautifully organized sound that is sending a message out to all those who are able to hear. The interesting yet complicated part about this form of medium is that although the instrument provides the same unified tone to all those able to hear, the message or the interpretation of that message will be received quite different by each of its individual recipients.
It was proposed by McLuhan that “medium is the change of scale or pace or pattern” (McLuhan 8). I can agree with this statement to some extent although I believe that it needs to be revised. Medium acts as the intermediary platform which allows for change of scale or pace or pattern. The changes or movements that occur in our everyday life are produced by external forces not by the media themselves. Without media in our lives we would not be able to experience these changes and life as we know it would be nonexistent.
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