Writing on the Wall

So far, I have really enjoyed reading Tom Standage's Writing on the Wall: Social Media- The First 2,000 Years. I think it is an interesting take on the concept of social media, and one that is particularly relevant given the astronomical rise of modern social media over the course of the past decade. In the text, Standage argues that the idea of social media is intrinsically tied to humanity's need for self-expression, and asserts that social media, along with its societal connotations and implications on the human psyche (positive and negative), are not new concepts; in fact, Standage argues, the practice of "sharing" information amongst social networks is as old as writing itself. As Standage includes in the text, famous scholars like Socrates were concerned with the availability and accessibility of media as far back as the ancient Greeks: "[people would become] hearers of many things, and will have learned nothing; they will appear omniscient and will generally know nothing." This quote sounds eerily similar to the qualms we (read: young adults) hear almost daily from our parents, professors, and employers- they think that the ability to share opinions and connect with others through social media is somehow making us ignorant, shallow, and dumb, as if sending a meaningless Tweet or Facebook status is indicative of our personal and academic potential. While to some degree the question of shallowness has some validity--we are all guilty of "manufacturing our online image,"--the connection to the past and the overall conclusion that modern social media is simply the inevitable progression of technology is refreshing to hear. For once, our ancestors are condemned rather than the current generation.

The sections of Writing on the Wall that I found most interesting, however, were the comparisons of ancient social media to modern social media. Standage mentions graffiti in Pompeii, comparing them to wall posts, and suggests that Luther's 95 theses "went viral," to name a few examples. While the connections may be a bit far-fetched in some instances due to the vastly different technical processes, there is definitely some theoretical validity to the comparisons. What I would be interested in reading about is how experts think social media will progress in the future. 1,000 years from now, will people look back on social media of our era the same way we look back on the eras of Socrates and Luther? What more could be done that would revolutionize social media? We can already instantaneously communicate with individuals across the world, does this mean we have reached the peak of social media? I think it is an interesting topic to think about, and I look forward to our class discussions on the topic.