The Medium Is The Message

Marshal McLuhan's "The Medium is the Message" is an interesting read for the simple fact that McLuhan was able to understand the power of the media long before those in control of it did. For instance, he touched on the idea about how our world is becoming a "global village" and how new media is an extension of our human senses. When he refers to the global village he is really talking about how our world is becoming smaller with the medium of technology because we are now much more closer to each other than ever before. For example, in today's day and age we have the ability to know what is happening around the world instantaneously, whereas before when our culture was governed by literature we were only able to see it through printed lines. In other words, the messages throughout the world used to be interpreted individually. Therefore, we are no longer concerned with individualism, but rather collectivism. As a result of this, new media is an extension of our human senses; it captivates us in physicality, but it expands our ability to perceive our world to an extent that would be impossible without the media. Our senses are heightened, and that in itself is perpetuating an Age of Anxiety. Above all, McLuhan is saying that the medium influences how the message is perceived. This video shows the journey of a guy who travels to 12 countries in 8 months. I think the video below is a clear example of how our world becoming a global village and how the new media is an extension of our human senses.

Take A Walk (Around the World) from Humanity.TV on Vimeo.