Social Media: A Historical Perspective | Tom Standage | Talks Google

Summary

In this insightful talk, Tom Standage explores the historical roots of social media, arguing that it's not a modern phenomenon but has existed for centuries. He discusses how the Romans used social networks for communication, Martin Luther leveraged the printing press for religious reformation, and 17th-century coffeehouses served as hubs for information exchange. Standage suggests that the current social media landscape mirrors these ancient practices, indicating a return to a pre-mass media model of information sharing.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker, Tom Standage, argues that social media is not a new phenomenon but has historical precedents dating back to ancient Rome, challenging the notion that it's a historically unprecedented innovation.
• 🔄 He defines social media as a horizontal, two-way transmission of information through social networks, creating distributed communities or discussions, contrasting it with vertical, one-way transmission like traditional broadcasting.
• 🏛 Standage suggests that the Roman Republic represents an early form of social media environment due to widespread literacy, low costs of copying and delivering information, and the use of slaves as a form of 'Roman broadband'.
• 📜 The script describes how Romans, particularly the elite, used social media-like practices for political and social news dissemination, using messengers and scribes to copy and distribute letters, similar to modern retweeting.
• 📰 The 'Acta Diurna,' a daily summary of political and social events in Rome, is highlighted as an early form of news media that was socially distributed, with people sending relevant parts to friends in other regions.
• 💼 The Apostle Paul's use of social media to distribute epistles and bind early Christian communities is mentioned, showing how social media can shape religious and social movements.
• ✉️ The script discusses the role of the printing press in the rapid spread of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, which led to the Reformation, illustrating how advancements in technology can amplify the impact of social media.
• ☕ The 17th-century coffeehouses of England are presented as social media platforms where people from different social classes could discuss and share information, fostering innovation and the exchange of ideas.
• 📔 Commonplace books are likened to modern social media platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest, where users curate and share content created by others, highlighting the historical continuity of content sharing.
• 📉 Standage reflects on the shift from social media to mass media in the 19th century with the advent of technologies like the steam press, leading to centralized information dissemination and a temporary departure from social distribution systems.
• 🌐 The script concludes by emphasizing the resurgence of social media's role in information sharing, suggesting that the internet has enabled a return to a more distributed model of media consumption, challenging the broadcast model of old media.

Q & A

What is the main argument presented by Tom Standage in the transcript?

Tom Standage argues that social media is not a new phenomenon but rather has historical precedents dating back centuries. He suggests that social media can be traced back to the Roman Republic and has evolved through various forms such as coffeehouses and pamphlets, each serving as a platform for social interaction and information dissemination.

What does Standage mean by 'horizontal two-way transmission' in the context of social media?

By 'horizontal two-way transmission,' Standage refers to the exchange of information or media that travels along social networks, allowing for a distributed community or discussion. This is in contrast to 'vertical one-way transmission,' which implies a top-down flow of information from a single source to a passive audience.

According to the transcript, what role did literacy play in the development of early social media environments?

Literacy was a crucial factor in the development of early social media environments, as it allowed individuals to read and write messages being passed around. This was essential for the creation of a distributed community that could engage in discussions and share information through written media.

How does Standage describe the Roman Republic as an early example of a social media environment?

Standage describes the Roman Republic as an early social media environment due to the low cost of copying and delivering information, which he likens to modern broadband. Slavery in Rome facilitated the cheap replication and distribution of messages, and literacy was widespread among the middle class, enabling the use of written media for social interaction.

What is the significance of the Roman 'Acta Diurna' in the context of Standage's argument?

The 'Acta Diurna' is significant as it represents an early form of official news media in the Roman Republic. It was a daily summary of political and social events that was made publicly available, and its distribution through social networks and personal correspondence is an example of how news traveled in early social media systems.

How did the Apostle Paul utilize the Roman social media system according to the transcript?

The Apostle Paul used the Roman social media system to distribute his epistles across churches in Asia Minor and Greece. By encouraging the reading and copying of his letters in local churches, he was able to bind together a distributed community of believers, thus using social media to form and strengthen the early Christian church.

What role did the printing press play in the spread of Martin Luther's 95 Theses, as discussed in the transcript?

The printing press played a crucial role in the rapid dissemination of Martin Luther's 95 Theses. Once printers got hold of the theses, they were able to produce thousands of copies, which were then distributed to other towns and translated into local languages, greatly increasing the reach and impact of Luther's critique of the Catholic Church.

How did coffeehouses function as media sharing platforms in the 17th century, as described in the transcript?

Coffeehouses functioned as media sharing platforms by providing a space where people could read and discuss a variety of printed materials, such as pamphlets, newsletters, and newspapers. They fostered an environment of free conversation and the exchange of ideas, which contributed to the spread of information and the development of new ventures and innovations.

What is the 'commonplace book' mentioned in the transcript, and how does it relate to modern social media practices?

A 'commonplace book' was a notebook used to record interesting quotes, poems, or ideas that an individual encountered. It was a form of personal curation and reflection. Standage draws a parallel between commonplace books and modern social media platforms like Tumblr and Pinterest, where much of the content shared consists of reblogs or repins of other people's content, representing a form of self-expression through the curation of others' work.

How does Standage suggest that the history of media should be reevaluated in light of the internet and social media?

Standage suggests that the history of media should be reevaluated by recognizing that the period of mass media, characterized by centralized one-way broadcast, is the historical anomaly. He proposes that the internet and social media have brought us back to a state where social distribution systems can compete with mass media, and that this shift is more of a return to the long-standing tradition of social media rather than a new phenomenon.

What are some of the lessons that Standage believes can be drawn from historical social media systems for today's users?

Standage believes that historical social media systems can offer insights into the potential of social media for innovation, the role of social media in synchronizing public opinion and potentially acting as an accelerant for revolutions, and the enduring nature of social media as a format for information exchange and community building.