“… CHANGING THE WORLD
Introduction
The topic of social and print media and their emergence and impact on the social relationships among people is still a surprise to many. Communication is the most important activity in human life; because at home, we communicate with our parents and siblings to get many things done. Interestingly, I am communicating to you, my readers through my blog. Astonishingly, most people do not understand the history and development of communication. When we look at the history of the media and its impact to the society in the past and today still proves a nightmare to many. There are so many questions, how did the media evolve that fast? Did the audio-visual face out the print media? Is there a relationship between print media and the audio-visual media? Which one do people prefer? Today, we have numerous modes of communication. Initially, people used to write letters, which would take time to reach the recipients and later, scientists realized the best ways to solve a problem of the delay, then email services were discovered following the invention of computers and internet. Even in churches today, most worshipers use the bible in soft-copy unlike previously when people used to carry the physical printed or hard-copy bible. What is the social and cultural impact of these modes of communication to various societies? How did the new media change the uses of the older ones?
Summary
Understanding the cultural and social impacts of the development of the media requires understanding of the reasons for the rapid development. How have Facebook and Email made life simpler today? Reading the book, “A Social History of the Media: From Gutenberg to the Internet” by Asa Briggs and Peter Burke helps us in learning the relationship between the old media and the new media platforms. Chapter two of the book discusses the shift from oral tow written communication and finally to visual communication[1]. From the third chapter, we learn that the increasing use of printing and writing directly affected oral communication. The old art of conversation was interfered with due to the spread of writing and printing. According to the authors, the print media mainly contributed to the refinement of conversation[2]. It helped a lot in keeping records of information. For instance, a politician’s speech could be easily kept after the delivery. Through print and written media, we are able to access the words of the American first leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and other great activists such Martin Luther King Jr. and many others. In other words, the print and written media provided people with records for future reference. Face to face communication, which was considered the most reliable and genuine means of communication was also affected. The diffusion in the media world not only allowed for the impersonal and distant means of communication but it also changed the nature of the social world, especially the way in which people related. As mentioned above, the oral face to face communication was and is still the most genuine means of communication, the introduction of print, visual and written media reduced its applicability. This means people no longer needed to come together to communicate[3]. This reduced the social interaction among people and the interpersonal relationships among them. Overall, the two authors analyze the chronological development of the media.
Reflection Did the media kill our interpersonal relationships?
Most of us do not understand how written, print, visual, and audio-visual media affects our relationship with other people. Sometimes we communicate with other people without considering the role of ethics in communication. When we talk much through phones and emails, don’t you think we will talk less when we meet? Don’t you think it is more possible to lie on phone than when talking face to face? The book summarized above offers a deep comprehension on the development of the various forms of media. However, the authors do not highlight the social effects of the book on our society. In other words, a reader with a sociological mindset may not appreciate the book without his or her own interpretation. The book is perfect for individuals studying the introduction to communication. It also helps us appreciate the past as we hope for the future. It is indeed a perfect book to read during your free time, because it is so wordy and that caused a challenge for me, my reading time was limited.
Bibliography
Briggs, Asa, and Peter Burke. 2009. A social history of the media: from Gutenberg to the
Internet. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
1]Briggs, Asa, and Peter Burke. 2009. A social history of the media: from Gutenberg to the
Internet. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
[2]Briggs, Asa, and Peter Burke. 2009. A social history of the media: from Gutenberg to the
Internet. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
[3]Briggs, Asa, and Peter Burke. 2009. A social history of the media: from Gutenberg to the
Internet. Cambridge, UK: Polity.
About the Author
Rose Anding
Rose Maria “Simmons McCarthy” Anding, a Visionary, Teacher,Evangelist, Biblical Counselor/ Chaplain and Author, of High Heels, Honey Lips, and White Powder. She is a widower, mother, stepmother, grandmother, great grandmother of Denver James, the greater joy of her life. She has lived in Chicago, Washington, DC, and North Carolina, and is now back on the forgiving soil of Mississippi.10 responses to ““… CHANGING THE WORLD”
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Rose,
Thanks for your analysis on communication.
In Asa Briggs and Peter Burke’s book on The Media, they note that as new forms of the media emerged such as television and the Internet, a lot of controversy was generated regarding their moral value to society. However, Briggs and Burke indicate that this book is not about making a judgment call on the positive and negative impact of media changes and developments on society. (p2).
So, I pose this question to you. As a mature Christian leader who has seen multiple media changes and skillfully utilizes technological apparatus, what do you think is the greatest benefit new media serves for your ministry?
Rose,
Since the emerging generation does not know life without social media (and its pitfalls), do you have any ideas how we can draw them towards more face-to-face interaction?
Thanks Marc for the question,
We must face the facts, it is simply the way things are done. The youth as member of the Net Generation; they have never known life without the Internet. Information technology is woven throughout the youth’s life, but they probably doesn’t think of it as technology. Because one generation’s technology is taken for granted, but not by the next one , the computers, the Internet, online resources, and instantaneous are part of their lifestyle.
This is about an article, I read concerning social media’s effect on our ability to interact and communicate is visible throughout all areas of society, so what does this mean for interpersonal communication? “According to Paul Booth, PhD, an assistant professor of media and cinema studies in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago, social media certainly affects how we engage with one another across all venues and ages. “There has been a shift in the way we communicate; rather than face-to-face interaction, we’re tending to prefer mediated communication,” he says. “We’d rather e-mail than meet; we’d rather text than talk on the phone”.[1]
According to Booth, studies have shown that people actually are becoming more social and more interactive with others, but the style of that communication has changed so that we’re not meeting face-to-face as often as we used to. [2] Do you see it as a pitfall? Please share your thoughts? Thanks Rose Maria
Reference
1 http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051313p10.shtml
2 http://www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051313p10.shtml
Rose – very interesting that this professor sees people interacting MORE. I certainly can’t refute that.
I guess if I see this means of communication as a problem it’s because it feels less human. Perhaps it reflects my primary love language, which is touch. If I can’t give a hug or put my hand on a shoulder I don’t feel like I’ve loved someone.
My son and his wife and daughter live in an apartment that is attached to our house. They have asked that we text them to see if it’s a good time to visit. This seems bizarre to me, but it’s normal for them. I’m working at understanding.
Thanks Claire for commenting on my blog,
Yes you are correct about the authors. They made the point to let their reader know, they were not giving a judgment call, but rather the history. The book is not about controversy, but history of Social Media They gave us the history of media, so what is history? History is a written record of the past events connected to the future, and since we are living now, and facing the future, we need to shed light on those records, bringing media to the forefront, the impact it has on society, namely our youth, and how it is changing our world , good or bad.
Since we have read the history, what are we going to do with the knowledge? Nothing! Or, will we make changes. I believe we should continue to learn and make changes and adjustment. My thoughts are geared toward not just reading the book, but how can I apply the reading to life, in order to experience it. We are the church, so how do we see the effects of media? Can the church use media to create a different result? OR should we do it the same way as the world. ? What are you thoughts?
Your question was “What is the greatest benefit new media serve for your ministry”? First and foremost it unleashes the power of prayer, and these prayers are becoming viral on the internet. Media gives us opportunity to establish a rational community with our church or outreach ministry, in order for the congregation to gain inslight into the leader’s or pastor thoughts, daily life and spiritual reflections. Also, it will allow the Christian to fulfill the great commission by preaching the gospel to all nations in a unique way.
To me , It is a tool that must be used to fulfill it multifaceted, God -given mission in the world; therefore everything must be done for the mission to be complete, the media is unique among the churches many tools, in a way it stimulate people to listen to and embrace. Therefore I will be able to connect to people of all ethical groups, facilitate forms of co-operation between different geographical and culture context that will enable me to deeper our common humanity.
Thanks for sharing! Rose Maria
Rose,
Thank you for your illuminating response. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. The church, that is, the entire community of Christian believers, has an obligation before God to set the moral tone for society in their sphere of influence, rather than aimlessly allowing the world systems and world culture to dictate and influence social norms. I think the church is so caught up in all the various aspects of the media, good and bad, that it cannot be a voice or advocate for social morality. It cannot be a role model for the next generation.
Yes, the church can and should be using the media to create different results. When I think of God’s purposes for media developments, the first thing that comes to mind is to facilitate the propagation of the Gospel. You are correct; the church should be utilizing the technological advances of the media to advance prayer, outreach ministry, and to fulfill the Great Commission globally.
Rose,
What insight to this incredible topic. I agree with you that the development of media has definitely affected interpersonal relationships. I have students sitting right next to each other where they could have a personal conversation but instead they send text to each other to simply avoid the eye contact and conversation. Incredible to me that this is the case but it is.
What do you think would help our interpersonal conversations? Do you think being in a “tech” free zone for even a couple of hours would be beneficial? Give me your thoughts.
Again, a great post!!
Kevin
Thanks Kevin, for commenting on my blog!
Your question, “Do you think being in a “tech” free zone for even a couple of hours would be beneficial?”
My answer is no, not really, because personal time refers to the ways in which individuals experience time. The way we experience time varies based on our mood, our interest level, and other factors. The Internet offers a vast realm for distraction but then so does reading and television. The Internet is an improvement on television in the same way, example: that Jane Smith’s bustling neighborhood sidewalk is an improvement on the dullness of suburbia.
The Internet requires an active engagement and as a result it is full of surprises. You don’t watch the Internet, you search and link. What is important for thought about the Internet is not the content; it is the new activity of being a searcher, with the world’s store of knowledge and images at your fingertips. Therefore Individuals also vary based on whether or not they are future or past oriented. People with past-time orientations may want to reminisce about the past, reunite with old friends, and put considerable time into preserving memories and keepsakes in scrapbooks and photo albums. But the youth spends their time communicating on the phone and the internet; in other words the youth has a different style of communicating, yet they are communicating. Maybe they are communicating better than the older generation.
Thanks for the question! Rose Marie
Rose:
Your analogy of the cell phone presents the challenge of the early wireless communication, the telephone. People would not be able to see face to face with hard-lined telephone from one part of a city to another, or one state to another.
Did the telephone (Alexander Graham Bell style) separate people and their ability to communicate or did it increase communication? Could today’s cell phone be preparing society for a new form of media?
Looking back at history we see that there have been forms of media that were demonized at their inception but now are seen as profitable. You said, “Through print and written media, we are able to access the words of the American first leaders such as Thomas Jefferson and other great activists such Martin Luther King Jr. and many others. In other words, the print and written media provided people with records for future reference.”
The Catholic church wanted to control the printed page but Luther wanted the printed page to be made available to the average person. The “printed page” methodology was not evil, it was how the methodology was embraced or neglected.
Does the cell phone cause us to revisit its potential for both negative and positive?
Phil
Rose,
Great summary! The book was dense, but it had so much interesting information that it was hard for me not to keep reading! I wish I had two weeks available to enjoy it!
As you pointed out, despite the diverse ways of communication, face to face conversation is still a unique and powerful way of communication that cannot always be replaced. In my pastoral experience, we have discovered that some technologies can be very useful to replace physical face-to-face interactions. Sometimes it is even more effective than physical meetings. For instance, many of our leadership meetings are done through Webex, a video conference service that allows meetings with multiple people. We even use it for some Bible studies when people cannot physically attend. However, there are other cases in which physical presence should not be replaced with technology. Wise leaders must know when their physical presence is a must. For instance, based on my experience, I’ve learned that any type of conflict has to be addressed face to face. Based on your leadership experience, in what situations would you suggest that the physical presence of the leader should be preferred?