Media can be described as anything that provides the ability to convey a message. Media can be something natural or manmade but is not considered a medium until it is perceived by a human. The human element is what creates the message within the media. In order to narrow this definition down one must first look at media as a message.
Media comes in many different forms and the messages they convey are not limited to a specific sense it invokes, but rather the fact that it brings the human body into play somehow. McLuhan uses the example of the electric light. Although the light itself does not convey a message, it enables other forms of media to convey messages. “This fact, characteristic of all media, means that the “content” of any medium is always another medium” (8). The light itself does not convey a message but a variety of medias such a sports game, classroom, even hospital surgery can then take place because of the light. Media can even be something as simple as a freshly baked cookie in which one can either see or smell to invoke memories and thoughts. Each layer of media provides another medium that acts as a message that can be further looked into, resulting in an infinite effect of medias within other medias.
Media can be broken down into three major categories: oral, typographical, and electric. Each of these categories provides a different level of participation by the viewer that makes the message more or less meaningful. An example of an electric media would be something such as a text in which the recipient gets some information but must also respond. According to McLuhan, the greater the amount of participation required, the cooler the media is. Meaning that since more information must be made by the viewer; the less the senses are invoked. This is not to say that something such as a text message is not a media, but rather its message is not as great on the human body.
In personal experience I previously believed that media was only limited to the idea of something conveying a message such as a newspaper or the internet. Through McLuhan’s thoughts, it can be seen that media is more closely related to our own interpretations on these messages. Although defining media, McLuhan’s ideas bring to surface many questions as well. A photograph is a simple form of media that conveys obvious messages to the viewers, however can it still be considered a media to a blind person? Similarly, can messages that people do not understand, such as an illiterate person that knows nothing about world news looking at a newspaper, still be considered a media?
I believe that each individual has his or her own opinion on what media is. In combination with McLuhan and my own beliefs, I think that media is dependent on the human element. At the same time, just because there is a form of media that someone does not understand does not necessarily mean that it is not a media. If someone does not understand the message being conveyed it may still invoke memories within that person such as when they were in a similar position and how they felt then. As long as the message is able to stimulate one of the human senses or the brain then it should be considered a media.
When looking at what can and cannot be considered media, the effects the message has on the human viewer must first be looked at. Media should be able to convey an infinite amount of messages within it that it affects an individual. Media can come in a variety of forms and intensities that invoke deeper messages in an individual.
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