We have discussed in class and read about these gatekeepers of information in society. They control the media and therefore can control the information we have access to. They can shape and frame events to tell a certain story, whether it is true or not. Most importantly, they have that control and power to affect the way we view each other and ourselves. In The Gutenberg Revolution by John Man, we learn about the historical context and events leading up to the invention of the printing press and how much it affected society. The printing press allowed for the rapid spread of information to occur over 550 years ago, which led to an entire breakdown of gatekeepers and the influx of new thinkers on the scene. The printing press provided the access, and the people took hold of it-and ran.
From history classes and COMM 100 last semester I felt that I got a good grasp on the impact the printing press truly had on the people, and reading it now, I understand that it is simply not a historical book. Sure, I can read it and learn about a certain slot of time, but it’s important to read the book, learn the history, and apply it to today, to our projects, and to our own lives.
It seems that throughout history, there are always these inventions, wars, agreements and other events that lead to great societal changes. Often though, while in the midst of a great change spurred by a certain occurrence, it takes years to truly understand the impact. It seems that while it’s happening we can’t really grasp our fingers around it. I’m sure Gutenberg thought his printing press was pretty nifty when he made it, but who would have thought we would be talking about it today? I’m curious because in classes like this one, where we study the impact of these new social media tools, we’re on the brink of what seems to be the next great change. If the printing press broke down gates, these new tools can break down stonewalls that were built solidly into the ground. What gatekeepers will be left to breakdown? Will we have a breakdown of government? Will we be able to police ourselves?
Not to get too dramatic or anything, I want to look into a certain phenomenon that seems that be taking over, in large part due to Twitter. Nowadays I see and hear it everywhere. I see phrases, with no spaces in between the words, and yet somehow they make sense grammatically because of the hash tag symbol placed right before it. #Icouldbasicallywritethisentiresentenceanditwouldmakeitokay. That one was a bit too long, but you get the idea. On the Twitter sidebar trending topics you will usually see a hashtagged phrase on the list. It can be as simple as #itiswhatitis, #help, and #sidechickgifts. When you click on them, and read what people all over the world are saying, you get opened up to new ideas, things that make you laugh, and even assistance after a frantic “#help my itunes got deleted” tweet is published. Yes, that did happen. My whole itunes library was wiped out with no explanation, and when I tweeted about it with that hash tag, I was able to fix my problem and not get depressed over having to rebuild an entire music library. Things like that never could have happened before the hash tag, and twitter for that matter existed. It’s a little thing that is having a huge impact. We’re getting information quicker, we’re learning new things, and it’s for free.
One of my friends from high school before creating a Twitter, was honestly living under a rock when it came to current events and happenings of the world around her. Whether she was disinterested or not, her lack of awareness was really starting to get on my nerves. How could someone just not know ANYTHING about what is going on? Twitter changed her. I laugh saying that now, but as I write about her, I realize how important a new technology can be to people. Nowadays, she knows what’s going on in the world and seems like a regular person. Without Twitter’s approachable and easy-to-use interface with access to tons of information, I don’t think she ever would have caught on. Television, newspapers, and online publication by themselves weren’t doing it- she needed a tool to do so. Gutenberg’s printing press made a huge impact, and now we’re really learning about the impact social media tools like Twitter are having.
Looking back earlier into the semester as the riots in Egypt carried on, we saw how Facebook and Twitter mobilized thousands to march and protest against a government they felt was not serving the people. These Egyptian protesters were not satisfied by what these gatekeepers were feeding them, and with the help of these new technologies, revolution happened. It almost seems that everyone is now in this giant network that is open, informative, and approachable. Will this completely change hierarchical structures of power everywhere?
It seems simple, the # symbol. Who knows what the creators of Twitter thought would happen with that tool. Did they think governments could be overthrown? Probably not, but it happened. Gutenberg created something and although he may have had an idea of what he wanted the printing press to do, he could not have guessed how impactful it would really be. People throughout history have been thrown into events, wars, agreements, and with emerging technologies, reactions and actions change. Gatekeepers can no longer just expect people to eat up whatever is served on the platter. Nowadays people are seeing what’s served, heading back into the kitchen if something isn’t to their liking, and getting what they want. Who knows what else will happen with the # symbol, but #icantwaittosee.
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