This presentation explores how social media feeds, shaped by complex algorithms, embody the idea that the medium is the message. I’ll explore how personalized explore feeds blur the lines between hot and cold media, and transform our thinking and behavior
McLuhan argued that media aren’t just channels; they actively restructure how we perceive the world. With social media, the content and system of delivery are intricately intertwined, which shapes our daily interactions more than we often realize.
He described ‘hot’ media as information dense, with less participation, and ‘cool’ media as less information dense, inviting more user involvement. I argue that Social media algorithms complicates these binary categories, because it demands both continuous interaction but also immerses us in a flood of tailored content.
Feeds combine ‘hot’ immersion—an endless stream of engaging visuals—with ‘cool’ interactivity, like likes, shares, and comments. This hybrid status creates a loop: we’re both spectators and active participants in a space that feels personal yet also algorithmically driven.
In the past, you would pick a TV channel or website. Now, social media decides what appears next. While we think we’re in control, and to an extent we are, algorithms serve us content designed to keep us scrolling, subtly reshaping or reinforcing our preferences and habits.
McLuhan said the delivery mechanism itself has the greatest influence. So in the context of modern feeds, it’s not just what we watch, it’s how the platform continuously updates and curates our reality, accelerating attention spans and reinforcing instant gratification.
More-so McLuhan’s ‘autoamputation’ describes losing awareness when technology extends our senses. Our phones serve as an extension of ourselves, and our feeds have become so integrated into daily life that we forget they shape our thoughts and behaviors.
Psychologically, we’ve already become cyborgs. Our digital footprints—our likes, follows, searches—act as an extension of our personalities. A persons feed is like a second self, reflecting our preferences and molding our perceptions of the world around us.
Much to McLuhan’s link to Narcissus, who was mesmerized by his own reflection. In our feeds, we see a tailored reflection of ourselves—interests, beliefs, desires—making it easy to remain captivated by a mirror that confirms who we think we are.
The mirror like nature of our feeds often reflects back the same preferences and standpoints we already believe, reinforcing comfort zones. It’s convenient for a sense of online community, but it narrows our worldview, creating echo chambers where we see only what we already like.
Back to hot and cold, social media and their algorithms are hot because it saturates us with information dense content. There is an almost infinite amount of things we can find, view, and watch without participating.
But it is cold at the same time because there are calls and cues to engage: like, comment, share, remix a video with your own opinion. There is autonomy in your feed as well, you can choose who to follow and what content you engage with.
However this ultimately loops back into the hotness of the algorithm, as any engagement is picked up and your feed “feeds” you similar content, in the hope that you keep engaging for as long as possible. This is is a result of the ‘consumerization’ of the algorithms. If you engage longer, you make the owners more money.
An objection could be that it is your choice to even log on in the first place, ultimately making social media more cool. Some would say that you don’t have to engage in content, and only watch from afar, making it much more hot. Both of these points are true, and further reinforce the lukewarm situation we find ourselves in.
Understanding how algorithms work is vital. McLuhan would probably urge us to question how the medium influences our beliefs. The more we dissect and be mindful the structure of these feeds, the clearer we see how our attention and decisions are being guided.
Being mindful means pausing before we scroll, questioning sources, and exploring different viewpoints. By practicing deliberate consumption, we can moderate the feed’s grip on us—turning it into a tool rather than letting it shape us unconsciously.
Even half a century ago, McLuhan foresaw media’s power to envelop our senses and reshape society. Today’s algorithmic feeds illustrate exactly that: a constant stream of digital stimuli wielding influence far beyond simple entertainment.
If McLuhan was alive for the rise of social media, he might dedicate a new chapter to social feeds. He’d likely explore their hybrid nature, their addictive qualities, and their cultural impact, showing how each scroll becomes a driver of our collective consciousness.
When billions of people rely on curated feeds, society changes: from politics to pop culture, everything is filtered through the lens of engagement. We have to recognize these structural forces if we want to maintain a healthy, diverse public sphere
In the end, we shape the medium as much as it shapes us. By staying aware of how feeds work and questioning our own habits, we uphold McLuhan’s legacy—actively engaging with technology rather than passively letting it define who we are.