When I use Xiaohongshu (rednote) to look for coursework references, I sometimes find myself scrolling for much longer than I planned. Even though I open the app with a clear purpose, recommended posts often catch my attention and make me forget my assignment for a while. This made me start thinking about how social media shapes our daily habits.
This brings me to Marshall McLuhan’s idea of “The Medium Is the Message”. Scannell (2007) discusses McLuhan’s thinking on media and technology. McLuhan argues that the importance of a medium lies not only in the content it carries, but also in its form, which affects the way people access information and experience everyday life. Xiaohongshu is an example that illustrates this idea.
One strength of Xiaohongshu is that it makes finding information more convenient. Users can quickly find answers to their questions, share personal experiences, and learn about different topics. The platform also recommends information users did not actively search for, giving them a chance to discover new points of view. In this sense, social media is not only a tool for entertainment — it can also help people learn and communicate.
However, the platform’s design can also make users spend more time browsing than they intended. The recommendation system keeps showing posts users may be interested in, and the infinite-scroll feature makes switching between content very easy. Users do not have to actively decide what to search for next; simply continuing the scroll brings new content. This can make it harder to notice how time passes and easier to neglect other tasks. The constant stream of short videos may also make it more difficult for some users to concentrate on longer content, such as study materials. Although everyone’s experience may differ, this does make us consider whether the way we use social media affects our attention and study habits. From McLuhan’s perspective, we should pay attention not only to the content itself, but also to how it is presented. The design of a platform may affect not only what people see, but also how they allocate their time and process information.
Overall, McLuhan’s theory made me think more carefully about the way I use Xiaohongshu. The platform makes information easier to access and helps me discover new interests, but its design can also pull me away from my goals. I think both the platform’s design and personal habits play a role. Understanding how media shape our behaviour can help us make better choices.
References
Scannell, P. (2007) Media and Communication. London: SAGE Publications.
