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The Playboy Interview: Marshall McLuhan

On the Enduring Relevance of Marshall McLuhan

When we talk about Canadians famous for analyzing new media, we often think of Marshall McLuhan first. With his koan “the medium is the message,” McLuhan synthesized his basic idea: Our tools, from electric light to television to phones, change not just how we communicate, but what we communicate about.

Clive Thompson • Social media is keeping us stuck in the moment

McLuhan’s view is that mediums matter more than content; it’s the common rules that govern all creation and consumption across a medium that change people and society. Oral culture teaches us to think one way, written culture another. Television turned everything into entertainment and social media taught us to think with the crowd.

Ezra Klein • I Didn’t Want It to Be True, but the Medium Really Is the Message

Johann Hari • Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again

A good book that would help us is Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan. It should be the online behavior bible of the 21st century. We all use media 24/7 but most of us have never truly studied it.

Timothy Ferriss • Tribe of Mentors: Short Life Advice from the Best in the World

Andrew McLuhan on LinkedIn: In other words, ‘the medium is the message.’ We are the sum of our…

Andrew McLuhan linkedin.com

Marshall McLuhan, W. Terrence Gordon - Understanding Media_ the Extensions of Man_ Critical Edition-Gingko Press

Marshall McLuhan • 4 highlights

readwise.io

Cover of Marshall McLuhan, W. Terrence Gordon - Understanding Media_ the Extensions of Man_ Critical Edition-Gingko Press

That’s why McLuhan said that every time a new medium comes along—a new way for humans to communicate—it has buried in it a message. It is gently guiding us to see the world according to a new set of codes. The way information gets to you, McLuhan argued, is more important than the information itself.