media evolution

  • 30,000 BCE

    First rock carvings

    First rock carvings
    These were the first ever forms of physical media.
  • 15,000 BCE

    cave paintings

    cave paintings
    These were slightly different to cave paintings, but served the same purpose.
  • 3100 BCE

    first written language

    first written language
    this changed society, because now media could be understood instead of just interpreted.
  • 2000 BCE

    first pen and paper

    first pen and paper
    This made it easier to write, because pens were quicker than carvings.
  • 800 BCE

    mass media

    mass media
    mass media was the transmission of media to the people.
  • 60 BCE

    first postal service

    first postal service
    This made it easier to pass on messages, as the writing would come to you, instead of vice versa.
  • Jan 1, 1440

    first printing press

    first printing press
    This revolutionised books, as they could be made cheaper and much faster in higher amounts. it automated copywriting.
  • first newspaper

    first newspaper
    This created a means of delivering news to the general public.
  • typewriter

    typewriter
    This invention made writing faster and easier to feed into printing presses. It was the first keyboard-style method of writing.
  • first telephone

    first telephone
    now people could transmit their voice over long distances to specific numbers.
  • first film

    first film
    This allowed moving images to be sent to new places in the world.
  • first radio

    first radio
    This allowed a global broadcasting system of sounds and voices.
  • first television

    first television
    This brought the entertainment of cinema and broadcasting of radio in a visual form for every household.
  • first (electronic) computer

    first (electronic) computer
    This allowed calculations to be made by a machine. It could not yet be used for media.
  • mobile phone

    mobile phone
    the first mobile phone allowed you to call from anywhere close to a cell tower with an outstanding battery life of 20 minutes and the sound quality of a dying robot, all while being so small it could fit in your schoolbag! It's really weird why no one would want that...
  • internet

    internet
    The internet was a revolutionary invention that allowed computers to send and receive files across the world in real time. The first modems operated on phone lines, so if you picked up the phone, your internet would cut out and the nerd upstairs would get angry about his low quality image failing to download at its usual 10 hour speed.
  • first smartphone

    first smartphone
    technically, the iPhone was not the first, because 'smart' phones were around in the 90's. they could only do a few extra things like take photos, call, text and maybe show the weather, if you owned a newer one. If you were lucky, you could record a video at 144p with a smooth 12 frames per second! The photos will look like they were taken on your grandpa's frying pan.
  • social media

    social media
    social media technically started in 1987 with NSFNET, but it was not successful enough to be global. later, companies like myspace and Facebook made it become popular.
  • iPhone

    iPhone
    The iPhone revolutionised smartphones forever. They added new technology for anyone to create apps and download them on their phones. They also set a new standard for quality and companies like android were soon to follow and improve.
  • fast consumable content

    fast consumable content
    I refuse to say TikTok invented this. VINE WAS FIRST AND IT WAS BETTER. Anyway, vine started around 2012, and introduced the system of scrolling quickly through content with a maximum of 6 seconds to entertain you. It formed the foundation of TikTok, which now dominates social media and how it works. examples of its influence include YouTube shorts, Instagram reels and reddit's video player.