In the social sciences, materiality is the notion that the physical properties of a cultural artifact have consequences for how the object is used.
[1] Some scholars expand this definition to encompass a broader range of actions, such as the process of making art, and the power of organizations and institutions to orient activity around themselves.
Central figures in the social scientific study of materiality are Harold Innis and Marshall McLuhan.
Communication studies scholars use theories of materiality when investigating the impact of media such as newspapers, radio, television, personal computing and the Internet.
[2][3] Different cultures have used various media to store information and its availability and transportability through time impacts its use.