Dating apps are another way to find love and build relationships, but is it more than what we see it to be? Has it changed the experience of dating? How would Marshall McLuhan look at it?

Canadian economist Harold Innis's communication theory on time-based and space-based media suggested that media like clay or stone tablets, hand-copied manuscripts, etc., are characterized as time-based media, which means that content delivered by these mediums will stay for an extended period; however, they will reach only a limited amount of people unlike the space-based media like radio, television, and mass circulation newspapers, etc, which can reach a wider audience, however, have lesser exposure time. Hence, time-based media is constituted as stable and favored by traditional, cultural, and religious institutions. Space-based media is considered rapid and favored by rapid changes, materialism, secularism, etc. These two distinctions of media point towards a philosophy that was pondered over by another eminent Canadian scholar - Marshall McLuhan. Innis's media theory realized that communication has different effects based on what kind of media is used to communicate it, and that is the entire premise of Mcluhan's work on "Medium is the message." Mcluhan theorizes that we often are so engaged in the message that we ignore the medium in which the message is conveyed. The medium changes our experience. For example, the advent of the telephone changed the pace and intimacy of human exchange. Thus, according to him, the message is relayed and transformed by the media. To better understand this idea, consider this example - Two civilizations, Egypt and Babylonia, conveyed their culture and day-to-day operations through different means. Egypt used Papyrus, and Babylonia used stone engravings. While the stone engravings are more durable, they are difficult to transport. Papyrus is easier to carry and transport. Hence, an evident difference between the growth and expansion of these two cities can be seen; Egypt's expansion and growth were far more compared to that of Babylonia due to the ease of production and transmission of knowledge. Therefore, it is not only the message; the medium also plays a vital role in the message.

McLuhan further suggests that sometimes a medium has no content but still brings about transformation. Consider railways. The advent of railways not only eased travel but also led to urbanization, transport of ideas, and communication, which was once restricted to one place and would only be possible with incredible difficulty. Furthermore, McLuhan also adds that a medium is based on another medium, which adds a layer affecting the experience of that medium; for example, Text messaging is based on writing as a medium; hence, the written word is a medium in a medium. The number of layers a medium brings affects the experience of the ultimate medium, i.e., our interaction with the inner hidden mediums affects our understanding of the outer medium and vice versa. Consequently, Mcluhan takes this further and gives his distinction of types of media - Hot and Cool media. Hot mediums are the kind of media that focus on one sense and are regarded as high definition where complete information is provided for the audience, reducing their effort in consuming the media. Cool Media, on the other hand, is characterized as low definition and requires participation by the audience to understand the message. Examples of hot media include Radio, Photographs, etc, whereas Films, Videos, etc, are cool media. Similar to these kinds of media, there are hot and cool societies that shape the way media is received. When a hot medium is introduced into a culture that is not used to it, it can have disruptive effects. For example, in non-literate societies, a hot medium like radio could have a disorienting effect because it demands less engagement from the audience but conveys information that people are unprepared to process in this form. Hence, societies also shape the experience of a medium. Therefore, McLuhan's theories on the role of media in communication and expertise are based on the philosophy that the 'Medium is the message'. This philosophy applies to the contemporary world, especially in the world of digitization and mediatization. Our interactions are media-based, from healthcare, education, politics, and even dating. Dating apps haven't just changed how we meet people but the overall experience of romantic relationships and intimacy. To understand dating from McLuhan's perspective, dating apps have transformed the experience of dating, the way one portrays oneself, the pictures they use, and the hobbies or interests they highlight don't just give a picture of one's personality but also shape what qualities are essential to becoming a suitor in the collective, it has increased the pace of building relationships moreover it has gamified ed finding love, with the

addition of likes, hearts, super likes on pictures of comments gives a sense of validation that shapes what aspect of themselves one decides to highlight or engage more with. Dating apps have created new norms and beliefs, norms on approaching someone, and the belief that there are more options ahead. The swipe feature, for example, is just not a feature. Still, it creates an illusion that if it doesn't work out with someone, there are plenty more people with whom one can interact in a swipe. Dating apps are a cumulation of many mediums, Pictures, videos, writing, etc.; the intricacy of these multiple mediums creates a web of differentials that change how the other medium is experienced, for example, a basic picture of one with their dog accompanied by a funny caption, changes how one will view the picture, transforming experiences. It is crucial to understand how the various features of these apps contribute to elevating and giving a unique experience that is impossible without the medium itself. Additionally, the experience of dating apps across the globe will be different based on how this cool media will be received in various societies. So, whether dating apps changed the experience of finding love for good or for bad is up for debate. Still, my conclusion is that dating apps have changed the experience of dating.

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