Media

Ever wondered how social media came about? Before our current world of Memes, Apps, ‘likes’ and tweets, to name a few, how did people get to know each other’s lives?

Being curious about what the older folks think, I asked an uncle about the evolution of social media. He said: “Simple lah, before Facebook, were Friendster and MSN messenger; and before that, were ICQ and IRC; before that, were the pager and phone cards; and then before that, was house-phone lor!”

Uncle used to be popular on this, or so he says.

The world is fast becoming a ‘global village’ - a term coined by Marshall McLuhan(1962), that demonstrates how fast information is now passed from one geographical region to another with increasing speed. Today we have achieved such a high level of efficiency, that unlike the past, we are able to send word to each other over the slightest whims at affordable to no cost.


Gripes on Facebook updates about cravings or even the weather are so common. A decade ago, I would be hard pressed to find messages like this on pagers. Can you even imagine sending letters or telegrams to each other saying (and I quote) ‘Hungry... AND NO FOOD AT HOME T.T’.

Anyway.


The media evolution came about with the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid 15th century. The ability to replicate and disseminate word, instructions and information at a rate like this to the masses revolutionized the messenger system. This spreading of information became the first main function of media, which later led to the Gutenberg revolution, marking the beginning of mass media.


That’s right, globalization and revolutions brought about the new levels of communication we have today, not because we bought phone cards and pagers, Uncle. 

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