Standage, Writing on the Wall
Standage, Tom. Writing on the Wall: Social Media--The First 2,000 Years. Bloomsbury, 2013.
In this book, Standage offers the claim that social media is by no means a new concept. He defines a social media system as “an environment in which information was passed from one person to another along social connections, to create a distributed discussion or community” (2). Accordingly, Standage examines a series of social-media systems that presented in very different times and places, explaining that they are more connected than they might seem. From the Roman letter-writing practices, to commonplace books, to microblogging platforms, each of these social-media systems share the common thread of person-to-person sharing of information. Moreover, Standage argues that concerns about mass media creating distraction, trivializing discourse, and bringing about social or political change have been around for centuries. Standage establishes that the sharing of information is a foundational part of being human. People engage in social activities that move beyond passively consuming information, they also “create it, comment on it, share it, discuss it, and even modify it” (6). This social activity results in a sense of community membership in a shared social environment. Standage posits that this kind of activity is so compelling because of three factors: the evolution of the brain, the exchange of gossip following the emergence of human language, and the origins of writing. While Standage offers a historical account of social media, his argument does not seem to be one of evolution or advancement. Instead, he offers a view of social media that situates the practices we engage in as facilitated by the technologies of the time, but not directed by them. While the book’s focus is clearly on social media and not specifically online or distance learning, Standage helps us to see that like other social media systems, OWI stems from historical antecedents. The practices that we ask students to engage with in online courses are--by and large--not new. When we invite students to engage with online course material, they are engaging with social activities beyond passive consumption and potentially building a community with one another.
In this book, Standage offers the claim that social media is by no means a new concept. He defines a social media system as “an environment in which information was passed from one person to another along social connections, to create a distributed discussion or community” (2). Accordingly, Standage examines a series of social-media systems that presented in very different times and places, explaining that they are more connected than they might seem. From the Roman letter-writing practices, to commonplace books, to microblogging platforms, each of these social-media systems share the common thread of person-to-person sharing of information. Moreover, Standage argues that concerns about mass media creating distraction, trivializing discourse, and bringing about social or political change have been around for centuries. Standage establishes that the sharing of information is a foundational part of being human. People engage in social activities that move beyond passively consuming information, they also “create it, comment on it, share it, discuss it, and even modify it” (6). This social activity results in a sense of community membership in a shared social environment. Standage posits that this kind of activity is so compelling because of three factors: the evolution of the brain, the exchange of gossip following the emergence of human language, and the origins of writing. While Standage offers a historical account of social media, his argument does not seem to be one of evolution or advancement. Instead, he offers a view of social media that situates the practices we engage in as facilitated by the technologies of the time, but not directed by them. While the book’s focus is clearly on social media and not specifically online or distance learning, Standage helps us to see that like other social media systems, OWI stems from historical antecedents. The practices that we ask students to engage with in online courses are--by and large--not new. When we invite students to engage with online course material, they are engaging with social activities beyond passive consumption and potentially building a community with one another.
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