In McLuhan’s media theory, the terms figure and ground describe the relationship between the main focus of a medium (the “figure”) and the surrounding context or environment in which it operates (the “ground”). McLuhan borrowed these terms from Gestalt psychology, which studies how we perceive objects in relation to their background, but he applied them to media to reveal how we often overlook the broader influence of a medium’s context in shaping our perceptions and interactions.

Figure

Figure is the foreground element or the primary thing we notice. It’s the explicit content or the “message” that captures our attention. For example:

• In a television program, the figure might be the show’s story or the characters on screen.
• In social media, the figure could be the posts, images, or videos we view and interact with.

The figure is what we consciously pay attention to, often seen as the “content” of the medium.

Ground

Ground, on the other hand, is the surrounding environment or context that shapes how we perceive the figure, even though it often goes unnoticed. It’s the structural and cultural conditions the medium creates and operates within. For instance:

• In television, the ground is the network, the medium’s scheduling, the commercial breaks, and the way television fits into daily life.
• In social media, the ground includes algorithms, user data collection, platform policies, and the overall social climate that shapes how we consume and interact with content.

The ground is often hidden or operates in the background, yet it fundamentally influences how we experience and interpret the figure.

Why Figure and Ground Matter in Media Theory

McLuhan argued that we tend to focus on the figure—the obvious message or content—while neglecting the more influential ground, which has a lasting impact on culture, behavior, and consciousness. The ground is actually more important because it’s what subtly shapes our perception and molds our interactions with the medium over time.

For example, while people might focus on the specific posts or news shared on social media (figure), the ground—the social media platform’s design, algorithms, and business model—affects how information spreads, how people communicate, and even how they perceive reality. This ground shapes societal behavior in ways that go beyond individual posts.

Figure-Ground Reversal

McLuhan also emphasized that figure and ground can shift or “flip” over time. What is background (ground) at one point can become the focus (figure) later. This often happens as people become more aware of the underlying environment. For instance, people initially focused on email as a convenient communication tool (figure) but over time became aware of the broader effects of constant connectivity and email culture on work-life balance (ground).

In Summary

• Figure is the main content or the focal point of the medium.
• Ground is the underlying environment or context that influences how we perceive the figure, often operating subtly or in the background.

McLuhan’s point is that to truly understand a medium’s impact, we need to look beyond the obvious (figure) and consider the hidden or contextual forces (ground) that shape our interactions, perceptions, and societal patterns.