Medium: More Than Words

 The medium is a concept that directly affects our message. Its definition includes our tone, where or when we say something, how we construct our sentences, the word choices we make, and even the emojis we use. All of these circumstances can shape how our message is received—making it seem either brilliant or terrible. Thus, a change in the medium holds a power we cannot ignore.

 Ruth Morse, a female character in Jack London’s Martin Eden, utters the following sentence in the book: “It is not what you say, so much as how you say it.” This line refers to Martin Eden’s grammar. Although he has great ideas, he cannot use English correctly and often butchers the language. As a result, his opinions are not taken seriously. When he starts to speak, everyone assumes he is clueless. This means that if we do not use words wisely and in their correct forms, our thoughts leave no meaningful impression in a conversation.

 Moreover, in today’s world, we use many platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. Despite landing the same message across different media, its meaning can shift depending on the platform. Since these applications serve different purposes, our message takes shape according to their intended use. For example, if you post a comment saying “Let’s vote for this idea,” it may be seen as a joke on TikTok, while on Twitter it could be interpreted politically and spark debate.

 To put it briefly, when the medium changes, the message changes too. For this reason, as senders, we must be aware of how powerful the medium itself is and be intentional about our choices. Furthermore, as receivers and consumers, we must learn to read between the lines. Stripping the message from its medium and understanding the true meaning behind the words improves the quality of our communication.

AI Reflection: At the beginning, I used AI to outline a blog post on the topic, and at the end of the text, I asked for my paragraph to be revised in terms of punctuation, grammar, and fluency. Some sentences that AI generated in the outline helped me write more clearly. I modified AI’s version to incorporate my own ideas into the paragraph. I referenced Martin Eden based on my recent readings and I provided examples from my experiences.