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| Global internet map of connections between minds |
American Information
Revolution
Microprocessors, internet and social media technologies
combined representing a new revolution in communications. Effects of this technology, like printing of
books, is radically transforming what it means to be human.
First with personal computers, expanded by internet, and then
democratized by smart phones; we have destroyed distance and time as barriers
to communication. No longer do we have
one way communication from a far-off past.
We speak and listen, almost exclusively in the now, everywhere.
Memes are forming from minds to machines and be transferred
to previously unreachable brains. Meme
reproduction between minds has accelerated out of the ability for anyone to
control.
With a revolution of book printing, thoughts of minds from a
distant and formerly unknown past were broadcast far and wide. Printer’s who owned presses had enormous power to choose which
ideas were disseminated. Moving from writing centers to reading edges, thoughts moved in one direction.
This printing broadcast technology provided a means for church, king or others to control information. Broadcasting
allows filtering of memes prior to reproduction.
Writing ones thoughts can now be transferred to readers
instantly by practically anyone with minimal economic stability. Memes move about at the speed of light,
reproducing uncontrolled. We write
our posts, send our tweets, share our links providing near instant
communication.
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| Brains are connecting everywhere |
Today we each can be broadcasters, speaking with anyone
connected via novel technologies across the entire planet. Our generation’s information technology revolution
is about multi-point communications. A
chaotic and almost uncontrollable density of thought is transferred between
brains.
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| People funnel ideas |
Meme Overload
Readers have unprecedented access to others thoughts. Like readers of the first printed Bibles, we
are seeing new things for the first time and forming opinions quickly and easily.
We are overwhelmed with information. There is more information on Facebook,
Google+, or LinkedIn published in a day, than we can read in a lifetime. We are forced to select which information
streams we read, letting others go by unknown.
With only limited space in our brains and time to process
ideas, we are forced to create our own filters to stop the flood from
overwhelming us. Where centralized
broadcast allowed filtering to happen for us, we now must do the filtering for
ourselves.
These filters are not new, we have always tried to stay away
from ideas we consider harmful. As our
bodies avoid disease and bad behaviors, our minds stay away from ideas that
could infect us or lead to bad action.
In part 5 of Meme Wars we continue our journey into our
current information revolution.
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