The expansion of mass media through culture and society is a complicated concept to break down. Most easily said, throughout history, there have been many advances that lead us to the postmodern society we live in today. In order to conceptualize technological advancements in society, we must understand these key points in history that constructed the cultural change.
Joshua Meyrowitz outlines four eras and their differences as to how they relate to technological advancements and cultural change. The first era, known as Tribal/Oral Society, emphasized oral communication and community. There was no conceptualization of the individual and knowledge was spread through word of mouth. The second era, the Scribal Phase, emphasizes a feudal system, with the adaptation of individuality through professions such as scholars and scribes. In this time period, the printing press was introduced, meaning writing and books freed people from relying on memory. Next, the Modern period consisted of the emergence of newspapers, radio, television, and film. With these advancements in technology, the rapid dissemination of information gave rise to social, political and economical institutions. In today’s era, the Postmodern era, the Network is a decentralized form of communication, making relations no longer limited to geographic proximity or family life. The growth and creation of networks today are more vast than ever, with information spreading with the click of a button. With the technological advancements, comes increased anxiety among individuals because of an information overload. Keeping up with trends, news, and new forms of social media is exhausting for many, creating what we now know as the fear of missing out, or FOMO.
The biggest changes in society that laid the groundwork for Modernism and Postmodernism was the transition between the Oral society to the Scribal phase. During this time, reading and writing was learned by some, creating a hierarchy in society of scribes and scholars. Those who achieved mastery were considered to be higher in the line of authority. This differed from oral society where elders were extremely valued members of society because of the knowledge they possessed. Although elders were known as knowledgeable, they were still on the same level, socially, in the community as everyone else in the tribe. Oral society valued togetherness, and individuality was slim to none. Simply put, everyone was on an equal playing field, and worked together as one to keep the others alive and informed.
The most important invention to make this transition possible was the printing press. As stated in the film A Matter of Fact: Printing Transforms Knowledge, “in one stroke, it would solve everybody’s problem, lawyers, bankers, bureaucrats, merchants, everybody. And it was also to take away that extraordinary memory of theirs forever”. In order to record ideas and teachings for future use, there had to be a way to mass produce them. The printing press made it possible for words to be written down and easily referenced by anyone. With the introduction of printing, man could now learn about anything from a written work of a teacher or scholar. The invention of dictionaries set languages into their modern form with set meanings, spelling, and grammar. Language as we know it today would not be the same if it were not for the invention of the printing press.
In the long term, the printing press paved the way for typewriters, computers, and quite obviously, the printers we have access to today. The printing press was the first piece of technology that allowed people to make written records, laws, and stories. The consistency it created allowed for society to take shape and specified beliefs and practices. The technological boom that was to follow was just the beginning of mass media production. No one would be able to predict where technology would bring society hundreds of years later — or how fast it could be processed and spread. As we look back from the standpoint of our now postmodern society, printing completely altered human thought and the ownership of intellectual property, all while creating institutions that would mold and shape today’s social networks.
