In retrospect, McLuhan’s enduring influence proves 
that the academy cannot hope to maintain a 
monopoly on understanding media. As he observed 
in 1951, pervasive commercial media are powerful 
educators, which conventional teachers ignore at 
the risk of irrelevance.

“Whether there ever will be TV in every classroom 
is a small matter. The revolution has already taken 
place at home.” (1964, pp. 331-2)

Two broad factors perhaps explain the recent 
revival of interest. The first is the resonance of 
McLuhan’s ideas for the members of generations