Action Quote by Howard Rheingold
“Communication media enabled collective action on new scales, at new rates, among new groups of people, multiplied the power available to civilizations and enabled new forms of social interaction. The alphabet enabled empire and monotheism, the printing press enabled science and revolution, the telephone enabled bureaucracy and globalization, the internet enabled virtual communities and electronic markets, the mobile telephone enabled smart mobs and tribes of info-nomads.”
About This Quote
Technological advances have repeatedly reshaped social organization and power structures.
In simple terms: Tech changes society’s power and interaction.
Key Takeaway
Adapt to new media.
Themes
technology
society
power
communication
Mood
analytical
thoughtful
Type
historical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- business strategy
- education
- political activism
Key Concepts
media theory
social evolution
Questions to Reflect On
- How does each medium alter power?
- What risks accompany rapid media change?
A Different Perspective
Each tech brings new challenges and inequalities.
![“I think [rock'n'roll] essence is what made it good and has a lot in common with what originally made monotheism good - it's against everything that is fixed, all the social structures that you can't go past.” quote by Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/658/ezra-furman-4439_common_i-think-rock-n-roll-essence-is-what-made_680749.jpg)
![“Far from being the crown of human thought and religion as its supporters have claimed for several bloody millennia, [monotheism] is in fact a monstrous step backwards--a step that has been responsible for more human misery than any other idea in known history.” quote by Isaac Bonewits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0eb/isaac-bonewits-49346_backwards_far-from-being-the-crown-of-human-though_419570.jpg)
