In
this module, I would like to delve into the transformative journey of media and
communication across different eras, starting with Enheduanna, an apprentice in
ancient Mesopotamia. Enheduanna existed as an apprentice in ancient Mesopotamia.
Her position entailed more than religious duties since it incorporated
educational responsibilities as well as the workings and coordination of temple
affairs. Evidently, the fact that in Enheduanna's hymns and poems the cuneiform
script was turned by her from its formal and usual application to an artistic
purpose indeed formed a very important phase of literature history. Her works
not only bridged the cultural divide between Sumerians and Akkadians, but they
also added a new dimension to the portrayal of deities, adorning a range of
human emotions on their face. Despite obstacles like exile, she remained of
significant influence well after her time and was an imposing force that has
dominated major religious and literary works for centuries.
In
contemporary times, Lev Manovich critiques the distinct features of new media
in "The Language of the New Media." Manovich examines how these new
digital technologies redefine media, introducing concepts such as modularity,
automation, variability, and transcoding. He is also willing to explain how the
developments of these technologies affect societies and cultures, considering
problems like the convergence of various forms of media and digital cinema.
Manovich, through his work, helps to frame the shift that happened from
traditional to digital media and how this sets the stage for future
developments.
In
one of the chapters done by Michael Stevenson of "The SAGE Handbook of
Social Media," the past, present, and future possibilities of social media
are explored in tandem with the analysis of Manovich. His work followed the
trajectory from the early web to today's intricate platforms. Stevenson
emphasizes the continuity between early web cultures characterized by
hypertextuality and community participation, as opposed to this commercialized
Web 2.0 era. His conclusion shows how all these transitions have influenced the
modus operandi of today's social media and how today's environment of
information has been shaped in its wake.
Cumulatively,
those works manage to provide a view from that height on media and
communication in different epochs. Manovich's research on new media,
Enheduanna's expression of ancient hymns, and Stevenson's analysis of how
technology is transforming media demonstrate that human expression does not
remain constant and technology changes its output. From the classical ancient
Mesopotamia's artistic expressions to analog photography and then to the now
every day digital interactions of the 21st-century human beings, these stories
serve as reminders of the ongoing development of media and its vast farthest
reach to human culture and society. This journey of history not only reflects
changes in forms of media but also resembles powers like the end story, creative,
and communication techniques shaping the experiences and understanding of
people over time.
References:
1. Stevenson, M. (2018), "From Hypertext
to Hype and Back Again: Exploring the Roots of Social Media in the Early Web.”
Retrieved from https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:16611/
2.
Ted-Ed. (n.d.). Who was the world’s first author? [Video]. YouTube.
Retrieved January 2021, from https://youtu.be/XhNw1BhV6sw?si=c5oO2YG4i1FNuQ3V
3. “What is New Media”, Lev Manovich. Retrieved
from https://dss-edit.com/plu/Manovich-Lev_The_Language_of_the_New_Media.pdf
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