--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Communication media enabled collective…" description: "\"Communication media enabled collective action on new scales, at new rates, among new groups of people, multiplied the power available to civilizations ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/howard-rheingold-2794_action_communication-media-enabled-collective-a_2646941.png" --- # Communication media enabled collective action on new… ![“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…” quote by Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/howard-rheingold-2794_action_communication-media-enabled-collective-a_2646941.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/howard-rheingold-2794_action_communication-media-enabled-collective-a_2646941.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/356/howard-rheingold-2794_action_communication-media-enabled-collective-a_2646941.png) > “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.” [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. 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. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Alphabet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alphabet/) [Bureaucracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucracy/) [Civilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civilization/) [Collective action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/collective-action/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Empires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empires/) [Globalization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/globalization/) [Interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interaction/) [Internet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internet/) [Media](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/media/) [Monotheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monotheism/) [Nomad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nomad/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Printing press](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/printing-press/) [Revolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revolution/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social interaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-interaction/) [Tribes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribes/) ## Related quotes > [Monotheism is in its turn doomed to subtract one more God and become atheism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-warraq/monotheism-is-in-its-turn-doomed-to-subtract-one-more-god-and-become/) [Ibn Warraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-warraq/) > [“Suppose that we agree that the two atrocities can or may be mentioned in the same breath. Why should we do so? I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/suppose-that-we-agree-that-the-two-atrocities-can-or-may-be-mentioned/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“To Judaism Christians ascribe the glory of having been the first religion to teach a pure monotheism. But monotheism existed long before the Jews…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-remsburg/to-judaism-christians-ascribe-the-glory-of-having-been-the-first/) John E. Remsburg > [It's very clear from Biblical history and Jewish history that Jewish monotheism wasn't developed in an instant, that it became gradually the accepted norm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/it-s-very-clear-from-biblical-history-and-jewish-history-that-jewish/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) > [Monotheism owes its existence not to philosophic speculation about the nature of reality or knowledge or virtue, but to acceptance of reality identified with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-shenker/monotheism-owes-its-existence-not-to-philosophic-speculation-about/) [Israel Shenker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-shenker/) > [ 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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ezra-furman/i-think-rock-n-roll-essence-is-what-made-it-good-and-has-a-lot-in/) [Ezra Furman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ezra-furman/) > [The deepest difference between religions is not that between polytheism and monotheism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-kaufmann/the-deepest-difference-between-religions-is-not-that-between/) [Walter Kaufmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-kaufmann/) > [I regard monotheism as the greatest disaster ever to befall the human race. I see no good in Judaism, Christianity, or Islam - good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-regard-monotheism-as-the-greatest-disaster-ever-to-befall-the-human/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [“All the three monotheist religions (Jewish, Christianity and Islam)claims that their God (Yahweh, God and Allah) created humans in a similar way: this indicates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajay-kansal/all-the-three-monotheist-religions-jewish-christianity-and-islam/) Ajay Kansal > [ Far from being the crown of human thought and religion as its supporters have claimed for several bloody millennia, \[monotheism\] is in fact a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-bonewits/far-from-being-the-crown-of-human-thought-and-religion-as-its/) [Isaac Bonewits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-bonewits/) > [Religion has gotten a bad rap for good reasons. Often, there are a lot of people - women, LBGT, and others - you know,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/van-jones/religion-has-gotten-a-bad-rap-for-good-reasons-often-there-are-a-lot/) [Van Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/van-jones/) > [If I were to believe in a god l would believe in gods. I think monotheism is the really ghastly thing. That is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/if-i-were-to-believe-in-a-god-l-would-believe-in-gods-i-think/) [Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/) > [“. . . In all parts of our globe, fanatics have cut each other's throats, publicly burnt each other, committed without a scruple and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baron-d-holbach/in-all-parts-of-our-globe-fanatics-have-cut-each-other-s-throats/) [Baron D'Holbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baron-d-holbach/) > [Monotheism is but imperialism in religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-henry-breasted/monotheism-is-but-imperialism-in-religion/) [James Henry Breasted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-henry-breasted/) > [The great unmentionable evil at the center of our culture is monotheism. From a barbaric Bronze Age text known as the Old Testament, three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-great-unmentionable-evil-at-the-center-of-our-culture-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Howard Rheingold > [Attention is a limited resource, so pay attention to where you pay attention.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-a-limited-resource-so-pay-attention-to-where-you-pay/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [What person doesn't search online about their disease after they are diagnosed?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/what-person-doesn-t-search-online-about-their-disease-after-they-are/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [You can't pick up the telephone and say, 'Connect me with someone else who has a kid with leukemia.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/you-can-t-pick-up-the-telephone-and-say-connect-me-with-someone-else/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [We like technology because we don't have to talk to anybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/we-like-technology-because-we-don-t-have-to-talk-to-anybody/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Attention is the fundamental instrument we use for learning, thinking, communicating, deciding, yet neither parents nor schools spend any time helping young people learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/attention-is-the-fundamental-instrument-we-use-for-learning-thinking/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [One thing we didn't know in 1996 is that it's very, very difficult, if not impossible, to sustain a culture with online advertising.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/one-thing-we-didn-t-know-in-1996-is-that-it-s-very-very-difficult-if/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Any virtual community that works, works because people put in some time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/any-virtual-community-that-works-works-because-people-put-in-some-time/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There actually are buildings that existed in cyberspace before they built it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-actually-are-buildings-that-existed-in-cyberspace-before-they/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [The world is restructuring, and all of the enemies that used to exist are kind of gone, so now they are looking out for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/the-world-is-restructuring-and-all-of-the-enemies-that-used-to-exist/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Kerouac was this kid who exemplified something happening.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/kerouac-was-this-kid-who-exemplified-something-happening/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Of course, with agriculture came the first big civilizations, the first cities built of mud and brick, the first empires. And it was the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/of-course-with-agriculture-came-the-first-big-civilizations-the-first/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [Its not a global village, but we're in a highly interconnected globe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/its-not-a-global-village-but-we-re-in-a-highly-interconnected-globe/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [People's behavior will change with technology. I know very few young people who can't type out a text message on their phone with one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/people-s-behavior-will-change-with-technology-i-know-very-few-young/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [I'm somebody who seems to stumble into things 10 or 20 years before the rest of the world does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/i-m-somebody-who-seems-to-stumble-into-things-10-or-20-years-before/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) > [There are always a few people who are hyper-normal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-rheingold/there-are-always-a-few-people-who-are-hyper-normal/) [Howard Rheingold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) [Explore all 150 Howard Rheingold quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-rheingold/) ## More Action quotes > [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. 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