The nature of a medium is more important than the meaning or content of the message. McLuhan tells us that a “message” is, “the change of scale or pace or pattern” that a new invention or innovation “introduces into human affairs.” He said that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not only by the content delivered over the medium, but also by the characteristics of the medium itself.
McLuhan uses the term ‘message’ to signify content and character. The content of the medium is a message that can be easily grasped. And the character of the medium is another message which can be easily overlooked. McLuhan says “Indeed, it is only too typical that the ‘content’ of any medium blinds us to the character of the medium.”
Take a look at a light bulb, it does not have content in the way that a newspaper has articles or a television has programs, yet it is a medium that has a social effect, that is, a light bulb enables people to create spaces during nighttime that would otherwise be enveloped by darkness. Therefore, the light bulb is a medium without any content as it creates an environment by its mere presence.

By Dorothy Sumukwo