Sometimes we get so lost in our lives that we forget to talk to our loved ones.
During one of the recent calls I had with my dad, he asked me if I recently had talked with any of my grandparents, to which I replied that I had texted them a day before. My dad then told me something so obvious yet important: “Texting them is different from calling them. They would love it if you talked to them on the phone”.
But what is so different between texting someone and calling someone? At first glance, both are means of communication and can be used to translate the exact same message, which in my case would be ‘I love you’. However, depending on the way this message is communicated it might be perceived differently. This is known as McLuhan’s Medium Theory.
McLuhan believed that the form of media used is as, if not more, important than the contents of it. Meaning that when studying media we should focus more on how the message is translated rather than what it translates.
Using the example I provided earlier with my grandparents, it could be argued that even if both text and call can tell my grandparents that I love and miss them, getting the phone call can be seen as a more genuine expression which would be received with more positive emotions from my grandparents. And I like to think that it is because it’s nice to hear the voice of someone you love but haven’t seen in a long time. At least it is the case for me, whenever I do call them.
Another field where one can see the medium theory appear is books.
Most of the book releases are accompanied by reviews from critics, influencers and just readers. And while all three of them might co-exist on the same platform (for example Goodreads), they usually appear in different types of media. Critiques usually publish their reviews on specialized websites or in magazines. Influencers tend to publish their reviews of the books on their platforms which can range from YouTube to blogs. Last but not least average readers tend to use Goodreads, LibraryThing and even open discussions on Reddit.
And while the difference is made by the writers/creators of the said reviews, people will view them differently because they are posted on different platforms. Reviews published in specialized magazines tend to be viewed as more serious and in-depth reviews of the book intended for academic audiences. Reviews published on YouTube, TikTok and other social media mainly used by influencers are more emotionally driven, they do not tend to dive into deep analysis of the book but rather share their reading experience with their viewers. As for reviews created and posted on websites such as Goodreads, they are usually perceived as something more casual and randomized compared to the reviews posted on social media (as creators there tend to review more or less the same genres) and specialized magazines.
So depending on how you want your review to be seen, you have to think about what media you use to publish it.
Reference List:
Durham, M.G. (2006). Media and cultural studies: keyworks.
You’ve inspired me, I really haven’t spoken to my family on the phone for a long time either, usually text messaging each other. Also you’ve reminded me that we shouldn’t get lost in social media, for example when we go out for dinner with friends, we should put down our phones and engage more with our friends.
This is really interesting, especially with the difference between texting and calling that you have mentioned. I never thought about how big of a difference it makes to the person receiving it.
You remind me of my family. In order to save time, I usually choose to send text messages to greet them, but I think calling them can really express my thoughts about them.
I loved this. Relating the topic to your own experiences in such an honest and heartfelt way was great. Your discussion of the topic around how a message can change depending on how its medium was well thought out. Wonderful work. Would love to have read more!
This was a really interesting and inspiring read. Like Cassius said, relating the topic to your experiences was indeed great and made the blog much more personal and interesting to read.
Great title! It really caught my eye straight away as it’s different from all the other titles. Not only is this personal to you but it has left me self reflecting on myself and the way I communicate with loved ones and whether it is adequate enough. I genuinely enjoyed reading this.