literacy. Micro and macro medium theory Medium theory can be divided into microlevel and macrolevel issues. Microlevel medium theory explores the consequences of the choice of one medium over another in a particular situation, such as in initiating or ending a personal relationship, applying for a job, commanding troops, or interacting with one’s children. Macrolevel medium theory explores broader ques- tions about the ways in which changes in media have influenced modes of thinking, patterns of social organization, status differences, value systems, collective memory, and even the physical layout of the built environment On the micro level, the core issue is the ways in which the medium that is selected a specific purpose influences a particular situation or interaction. Evidence of micro medium theory can be seen in the development of wearable fitness technology with the specific purpose aimed at increasing physical activity in the user. In contrast, on the macro level, the primary focus is on how the addition of a new medium to a society's existing grid of media may alter social interactions, patterns of thinking, social roles, social institutions, and social structure in general. The invention of social media has sparked a worldwide revolution on people's interactions, status, and way of life. The social media algorithm, developed to maintain the user's attention, has influenced an increased polarization of stances on political and social issues in the United States. Innis' medium bias Much of medium theory lies in Harold Adams Innis' theory of medium bias. Fundamentally, the theory of medium bias argues that a medium either has a bias for time or for space, and that this bias is dependent on the technology of the medium. For example, sculptures made of stone are time-biased, as they stay durable and are not prone to being destroyed over time. Paper and books are space-biased, as they can be efficiently transported over great distances, but will be physically damaged over time. Innis therefore argued that the medium used to share information had more of a societal impact than the content of the information itself. Innis further argued that due to the different natures of space-biased media and time-biased media, they impacted different elements of social structure. While if a medium was time-biased, it "meant an emphasis on religion, hierarchy, and contraction", if a medium was space-biased, it " meant an emphasis upon the state, decentralization, and expansion". McLuhan's message Marshall McLuhan