Media and Information Literacy: Evolution of Traditional and New Media

Lesson Objectives

• Discuss different periods of media evolution
• Understand purposes of each media tool by era
• Summarize evolution of media through a timeline

Overview of Media Evolution

1. Prehistoric Era (200,000 BCE - 4000 BCE)

   • Reliance on nature for communication
   • Methods include:
     • Use of smoke, fire, and horn
     • Petroglyphs: carvings on rocks, earliest form of media
     • Cave Paintings: painted drawings on cave walls (40,000 BCE - 38,000 BCE)
     • Dance: ritualistic, not for self-expression, connected to spirituality
     • Body Art: tattoos and cosmetic use for identity

2. Ancient Era (3000 BCE - 100 CE)

   • Development of systematic forms of communication
   • Cuneiform Script: wedge-shaped marks on clay, first systematic writing (34th century BCE - 2nd century CE)
   • Egyptian Hieroglyphs: combination of anagrams and alphabetic elements, used for religious texts
   • Phoenician Alphabet: first confirmed alphabet with 22 consonants, derived from Egyptian hieroglyphs
   • Greek Alphabet: introduced vowels and created the first true alphabet
   • Drama: emerged as a narrative form and tool for education
   • Paper: derived from papyrus, first documented in China (2nd century CE)

3. Industrial Era (1440 - 1890)

   • Introduction of mechanical tools and machines
   • Printing Press: invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440, revolutionized information dissemination
   • Dry Plates: advanced photography techniques, ancestor of modern cameras
   • Telegraphy: long-distance communication using codes, developed by Samuel Morse
   • Telephone: patented by Alexander Graham Bell in 1876, allowed voice communication
   • Phonograph: invented in 1877 for sound recording and reproduction
   • Film: introduction of motion pictures, early works by Edward Muybridge (1887)

4. Information Era (1906 - Present)

   • Modernization of technology from the industrial era
   • Radio: developed around 1920s, evolved into various formats
   • Television: advanced form of communication transmitting sound and moving images
   • Computers: evolution from large machines to portable devices
   • Internet: started as ARPANET in 1969, grew to a global network
   • Mobile Phones: evolution from bulky designs to modern smartphones

Summary of Media Evolution

• Prehistoric Era: Basic communication, reliance on nature
• Ancient Era: Systematic writing, introduction of paper
• Industrial Era: Advancement in machines, printing and photography
• Information Era: Modern technologies, internet, and mobile communication

Conclusion

• Understanding the evolution of media helps appreciate modern tools
• Tools have undergone significant upgrades to reach their current forms.