Letters and Politics

The History of “Social Media” Over the Last 2000 Years

In this episode we speak with Tom Standage, the Deputy Editor of the Economist, and author of the new book, Writing on the Wall: Social Media, the First 2000 Years.

One response to “The History of “Social Media” Over the Last 2000 Years

  1. This commentator on social media is taking a particularly Eurocentric view of what constitutes “social media”. Even if we use his definition, societies with complex usage of oral histories and communications such as the Djali/Griots of Mali or the talking drummers of many West African societies would constitute an advanced manifestation of “social media” (by his definition) that would predate the greco-roman examples that he gave. Yet, we don’t hear him citing the examples most obviously found in ancient African cultures.

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