Chapter 2.

Recent Advances and

Trends in Science and Technology
2.1 The Information Age
From Gutenberg to Social Media

From manually printed news papers

and other related articles by Gutenberg Learning Outcomes:
to the news articles and other literary  Familiarize themselves
pieces you access and read at the tip of with the pre Gutenberg
your fingertips the process of world, Gutenberg
disseminating information sure has Revolution and post-
become free and limitless.
Gutenburg World;
In this part of the module we are going  Link learned concepts to
to look back on our previous topics the development; and
about the different developments in the  Illustrate how social media
information age and its various impact and information age
onto our society. We are also going to affected our society.
reflect how social media and the
information age have revolutionized our
way of living.

THE PRE-GUTENBERG WORLD

In early times, books were created manually by hand. They were transcribed
through clay, papyrus, wax, and parchment. Besides, governments chose only to whom will
be given the education to read. They were scared that the influence of mass communication
will be the hindrance in their ruling. The transmission of information relied only through
"word-of-mouth" channels. In 1440, the first printing press was built through Johannes
1 Gutenberg which heralded the start of mass communication. However, it took hundred
years for this to spread.

THE GUTENBERG REVOLUTION

"The printing press was an important step towards the democratization of

knowledge“ Eisenstein, 1969. According to the researchers. Gutenberg Revolution is a term
used to express the democratizing effects of the invention of the printing press among
society. The invention of the printing press allowed for worldwide changes to take place.
Democracy was born through the invention of the printing press and the effects it had on
society. It allowed people to have a voice who weren't able to spread their messages before.
Although the distribution of information becomes possible, it is expensive and only a few
can afford it. Hence, to satisfy the needs of every one, distribution of information was
institutionalized and mediated.

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 THE POST-GUTENBERG WORLD

On the other laws, the dispersal of information took a long time through printing
press. In 1920, the radio broadcasting was introduced. It marked a significant jump in the
speed of communication. It made the spreading of information even more quickly and widely.
However, in the 197Os, the Information Age accelerated global communication. It started
when the microprocessor began and took it as the introduction to the Internet Browser, which
made the Information Age significant to up to this day.

In the early times of the internet, it still follows Gutenberg Principle. Both money and
expertise are required for you to be able to access the internet and spread information and was
therefore still the greater access to information was not fulfilled. However, the speed in
accessing the information through internet was great. For that reason, many investments
appears to serve and create opportunities with e-commerce as the major new web - based
phenomena.

According to Stacy (2008), the development of internet in our world, changed 2 major
expansion:
First, uploading and downloading of different forms of media, such as image, videos,
and audios, were now possible through internet access. Second, spreading and publishing of
information were now much easy because of different tools. This time, information can now be
on the hand of every individual and all the potential individuals. This is called as the Post -
Gutenberg Principle or Social Information Principle (Stacy, 2008).

INFORMATION AGE

Man has always the need for communication and continuous exchange of information
This need is motivated by man's need of belongingness to a society, giving and receiving
instructions and precautions, giving comfort and encouragement and improving everyday
ways and means. But it was not easy to do this especially in the early times because of
distance, time, and location that
communication and exchange of information can take a long time before it gets to the
receiving end.
Man has employed different strategies to combat this issue by using different signals
such as fire, flags, drums, and writings on clay or stone tablets. Some even employed some
animals to deliver messages like horses with a rider messenger or a messenger pigeon. But
still, waiting for the message to reached the receiver, and waiting for the response to come was
not always easy.
The discoveries and inventions on communication and information technology have
greatly helped to this constant need of man. There are three distinct historical periods for this
revolution of information technology (Washington, DC. Office of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense (OASD), Command & Control Research Program (CCRP), 1997). The first modern
2 information revolution began in the mid-nineteenth century and includes telegraph,
telephone, and radio. These three inventions have greatly helped in improving the people's
lives. Businesses, government, military, and foreign policy establishments were able to
communicate easier.
The second modern information revolution followed the first one and extended until the
mid-20th century and includes television, early generation computers, and satellites. These
inventions have greatly improved communication and have bypassed even further distances in
a faster time. The industrial society and governmental affairs have greatly benefited from this,
saving so much money that was at first spent over communication and exchange of
information.
The third modern information revolution probably began in the 1980s and has
surpassed the two other revolutions. This age which includes our time is now called as the
"knowledge revolution." This includes advance information technologies and has a remarkable
impact in the politics, economics, sociology, and culture knowledge creation and distribution.

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 The information age has a big impact in the society in that a lot of e usually spent on
ensuring that the message has reached the receiving end and deciphering the message is
correct is now saved. Communication has become more effective and efficient. Goods are
easily made by the producers and easily sold to the wholesalers then to the retailers and
finally to the individual consumers. Businesses flourished and it has greatly helped improve
every nation's economy. Governments have also improved their ways of handling their
political affairs be it locally or internationally. Military affairs have become so much easier as
well. A lot of wars were prevented because of more effective and timely communication. Lay
people also experienced the instant messaging world that loved ones living far away can now
instantly be reached by one click.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND ITS IMPACT TO THE SOCIETY

According to Brown (2018), among the three billion people around the world, 40 %
uses online social media. Social media users spend an average of two hours every day
tweeting or liking posts in different platforms. Social media has become a form of virtual
reality and a form of escape from the tyranny of life. Geographical distance is no longer a
hindrance in communicating with other people around the globe. Ideas become more fluid
making censorship next to impossible.
According to Merriam-Webster (2016), social media is defined as a form of electronic
communication wherein the users share information, ideas and even videos by creating
online communities. It is an internet-based medium intended for sharing information. Social
media is not only a communication tool but it also serves as an avenue for collaboration and
reviewing of information an opinions. In commerce, social media also serve as a brand
monitoring tool that help boosts their sales. The entertainment and gaming industry has
already joined the wagon.
Mark Schaefer (2011), an author, blogger and Social Media Marketing consultant cited
a summary in his blog how the world has changed because of social media.

- Social media made the society less individualistic and traditional groups more
reinforced.
- In education, including informal learning, social media served as an important
catalyst.
- Selfies shared in social media send different messages worldwide.
- In the world of social media, online equality is different from offline equality.
- Not the company, but the people who uses social media define its functionality.
- The public social media can be viewed as traditionalist or conservative.
- Posted photos and use of emojis in social media has shifted human communication.
3 - The world became less homogenous because of social media.
- Personal commerce has been greatly promoted with the help of social media.
- Group-communication arise because of social media.
- Social media, for some, served as their online "homes".
- Gender Relations has been profoundly affected by social media.
- Human conversations and relationships are now polymedia.
- Memes in social media served as Moral Police that has set the standards of normal
behavior among the general public.
- Social media is a privacy threat, but not for the non-users.

In general, social media and the advancement of information technology has greatly
influenced daily living of people. May it serve as an advantage or disadvantage, the society
must learn how to still manage to be in control in all of this.

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