In the writing, ‘The Medium is the message’ the author Marshall McLuhan illustrates with various examples that each medium is independent of the content it delivers and has its own inherent effects on the masses. The medium’s content doesn’t matter as much does the outcome matters. It is well introduced through the text that more than the content the medium serves the scale and enhances the human relationship. The medium is basically an extension of our thoughts. The messages received through the medium are the underpinning of one’s perceptions of certain things or the content of the medium. Marshall very aptly puts forth the medium’s content is determined by its value or the message that it delivers. The rational thoughts in the book are of provocative nature, they emphasize on the influence the media medium has on human associations and it repercussions. He also states that any medium also has a powerful impact of proposing notions on the gullible people’s mind which is true to its sense. The mediums can in any convincing way influence people’s thoughts. The inference drawn about a person is a master of own thoughts is very well illustrated through the sentence ‘The serious artist is the only person to encounter ethnology with impunity, just because he is an expert aware of the changes of his perception.’

Walter Benjamin’s essay ‘The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction’ scrutinizes how mass media influences people and also explores its political and economic influences on the society. The essay at various nodes of Art, Photography, and Film etc. dwells in comprehending people’s perception over the evolution of art and media and also thereby discusses about the evolution of human psychology in the realm of reproduction. The human perception as mentioned is truly evolving with time and does rely only on natural but historical circumstances as well which help in critical and rational citizen’s growth. The comparison of art then and now and its authencity over the years, the cult value & exhibition values of the art work, the changing times of art being a ritual to turning in consumerism are some of the demeriting stances according to author which have been molding human perceptions over a period of time. Although one might also say exclusion of aura in a way does help in creation of self-identity. At certain times, the author’s thoughts are not as radical as they should be but rather sound irrational and not convincing. For example when he distinguishes between the theatre actor and film actor, he mentions about theatre actor doing convincing job whereas it nowhere the actor’s plot nor the technical job but the scripts part to convince the audience. The essay significantly comprehends technology aided de-aestheticization of the artwork in modernity.

Both authors are relatively on same page when we consider human insights and their evolution although it is kind of paradoxical how each one views the outcomes or repercussions of one’s insight. McLuhan very optimistically states that the medium is message which help us form our insight although there’s a fine line between forming the perceptions and the medium hovering our perceptions or influencing us. Benjamin at the same time reclines that the human perceptions evolve with media or reproduction and make us more critical citizens which is partially true according to me.