The Medium is the Message

            When a person hears a story they immediately understand the obvious meaning.  For instance, “Little Red Riding Hood” is an entertaining folk-tale; however, beyond the obvious means hides a story warning children of worldly dangers.  Much like these stories, new media has created numerous mediums that relay messaging to the populous.  Many people believe the information these mediums carry is solely important in deciphering meaning and cultural value.  However, rarely do they decipher what the medium of that message says about a culture, and what messages such mediums send.

            For instance, Facebook is a medium allowing people the means to communicate to long-distance friends.  New media has created many social networking sites, however, Facebook may very well remain the most popular.  Facebook alone relays many messages without the presence of millions of posts.  For example, one can conclude that American culture is a fast-pace society that values speed.  Information is readily given to a person with literally the touch of a screen.  Facebook updates are sent straight to your phone immediately after such updates are posted, relaying the message instantly.

            Facebook also represents the importance of communication in American society.  This social networking site is world-wide.  An individual can instantly communicate with someone from another country via Facebook.  However, this does not always result in positive outcomes.  New media, including Facebook, illustrates our cultural decline in face-to-face interaction.  Face-to-face interaction holds importance in communication, as bodily indicators, such as facial cues or body language, are important in understanding a person’s true meaning or belief.  With new media, virtual interaction often trumps face-to-face communication, and such a switch in values can cause many people to become socially awkward. 

            Another important message Facebook presents is the importance of acceptance.  This medium allows people the opportunity to connect to society by “friending” others.  An individual can unfriend just as easily.  This ability to choose who an individual communicates with gives people the opportunity to surround themselves with common beliefs.  If there is a differing opinion, a person can easily remove this person with the click of a button.  This ability allows people to feel accepted among others.  Facebook gives the illusion of acceptance through virtual friendship, and encourages the myth that by friending Facebook friends, a person truly has friendship in reality. 

            Along these same lines, Facebook also influences what information a person receives.  With the availability to choose what information you receive, and from whom you receive it, an individual can isolate themselves to only one idea by only choosing to “friend” a person who shares the same beliefs or “unfriending” those with opposing views.  For the many people who use Facebook as a way to receive news and information this leaves out a counterpoint, something I believe to be essential when determining strong opinions and beliefs.  Though this is not true for everyone, more and more people use this form of new media to connect themselves to other individuals sharing the same opinions. 

            Facebook is a means of communication to many, but what does Facebook communicate?  A famous quote by Marshal McLuhan states, “The medium is the message.”  There are many different ways to interpret this quote.  However, my interpretation is though an individual can decipher culture values through a retelling of information, the medium stands important because the medium influences and holds values of its own.  The medium can influence what messages are relayed, and with new media sources like Facebook people often receive only one-sided arguments.  Facebook, as a popular source for information, also reflects just as many cultural values as one of its posts.  Therefore, it is important to venture beyond the obvious when deciphering cultural values or deducting meaning.  Yes, stories, shows, and the news reveal many cultural values and determine what messages get across to the populous, however, the medium equates in importance when determining what message is truly being sent.