Commentary
Communication breakthroughs have heralded turning points in human history. The Reformation and Renaissance would never have happened had Johannes Gutenberg not invented the printing press in 1440. Samuel Morse’s telegraph created instantaneous communication, which revolutionized news, business, and diplomacy in the 1840s. When Marconi created the wireless radio in 1895, the world was brought into the living rooms of millions of people. Televisions became common in households in the 1950s, bringing images of events and world leaders directly to citizens in real time. Today, cellular phones have mobilized communication for ordinary people and facilitated the organization of contemporary revolutions.
Even the most imaginative of futurists couldn’t have imagined the advent of the internet and the development of social media. The access to information and communication literally carried in the pockets of people today is astounding. It’s already changing the world, but the generational shift is only beginning. Will the changes be positive or negative?…