We can barely go a day without looking at our social media. Many articles claim we have become dependent on the social interaction we now receive on our mobile devices. Imagine my surprise when a book like Writing on the Wall by Tom Standage can account for two thousands years of history of the new addiction. I never thought of calligraphy or letters as a form of social media but in a way it is just another way of communicating and keeping in touch with people you are not with at the time. I found it particularly interesting when they talked about the wall in Rome. Where people wrote reviews and notes for the public. It was like a modern day Yelp, Twitter, and Facebook all in one. Even today these walls exist. Think about it, do people not graffiti their opinions? or paint murals on freeways to make a statement? There are other things besides the internet that serve as a social interaction we just don't always see it.
Social media was described to date all the way back to animals and their grooming habits. Although this idea of core friends watching you groom seems insanely bizarre, I found myself counting seven people I know. There are many social practices that we may think are extinct, but instead have just developed into something entirely different. Grooming clans have turned into #squadgoals and graffiti walls have turned into online reviews and personal Facebook walls.
Social media has been on the slow rise for centuries; it was almost inevitable for its popularity to blow up. However with the invention of the internet came a whole new beast. What started as Friendster became Myspace, which became Facebook, which launched an abundance of new ideas of how to become the next big social media app. We have anything from Instagram to time hop, and so many rely on it to feel included in the social world. I have no idea why I need to see a picture of what you ate for breakfast, but the sharing your life with others and getting like reaffirms confidence and it always has. Years ago it was getting a letter back, or an invitation, today it is evites and likes and retweets.
Today there have been so many things that have affected social atmospheres, and many things have aided in its success. We have had social media for hundreds or years; we just didn't know it.
Great post on social media and reading Standage. I thought your point about needing social media to feel included in the social world quite relevant. Thanks. Overall your blog is great.
ReplyDeleteNicole,
ReplyDeleteYour post highlights my favorite aspect of Writing On The Wall- I think Standage makes a really interesting argument that social media has been around in some form or another for thousands of years, and you do a great job of connecting modern-day applications to their ancient counterparts. I like your last sentence: "We have had social media for hundreds of years; we just didn't know it." I think older generations are quick to vilify social media and say it's degrading to our youth and society, and while there are some negative aspects, in reality, it's really just the natural progression and expression of the same desire to share our lives with our peers that human beings have felt for thousands of years. Great post!
I think your take on groups of people is absolutely spot on. Your comparison between grooming clans and squad goals is hilarious and true. We have not changed at all. We want our groups to be well represented and we want to identify with other people constantly. Our need to be liked and appreciated by others has reached a comical point, with our posts hoping to be drowning in comments and endorsed by the "likes" of many. We still search for social interaction and acceptance. I also think that we have always felt the need to be reaffirmed by our peers. I liked your comparison to letters and invitations. When we were younger- getting a birthday invite in the mail is huge, but now all we need is an invitation on Facebook to keep us happy. And we all know that a Facebook invite takes little to no effort.
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