The similarities between the early days of the telegraph and what we are experiencing today with the internet are almost shocking at times. It is easy to think that our current technological situation is unique because it is brand new and has never been done before— nobody has used the internet before us! While that is true, it doesn’t take into account the fact that other technologies have pressed the same emotional, financial, frustrating, helpful, beneficial, and confusing feelings into peoples’ lives. Daniel Czitrom does an excellent job of providing an insightful look at just how far reaching the impact of the telegraph was on the American way of life in Media and the American Mind.
Technically speaking, the telegraph was a feat that required the use of multiple branches of science. From the chemical reactions to magnetism to electricity, they all had a hand in birthing the telegraph as a useful communication apparatus. The telegraph brought not just technical changes to communication but cultural changes as well. With any new technology comes “plenty of expressions of doubt, incredulity, and superstitious fear.” (Czitrom, 1982) People were able to communicate in a way they have never been able to before. Because of the telegraph, “news no longer needed to be respectable or even significant.” (Czitrom, 1982) Sounds like he is talking about Twitter, but instead is about a technology that is over 100 years old. Just as Twitter is threating current newspaper business, the telegraph did the exact same thing. James Bennett, a penny newspaper owner and a proponent of the telegraph, wrote in the 1840s that newspapers would have to rely on telegraphic news or go out of business. The telegraph revolutionized the news business just as the internet is revolutionizing it again.
It is interesting just how much we sometimes think we have a grasp on technology even though we may only “see” a sliver of it’s potential impact. In the following clip, Al Swearengen laments the coming of the telegraph to Deadwood, SD. (Warning: vulgarity ensues)
Not long after the telegraph arrives in Deadwood, Al himself uses it to communicate often. His fears were quickly outweighed by the benefits of the ease of communication. Extremely similar to when many people started interacting with the internet. It needed to prove that its utility overcame the concerns and uncertainty.
Today, many people still have a technological anxiety. George Beard, a neurologist, thought that the telegraph and modern civilization were responsible for increased nervousness among “brain workers.” (Czitrom, 1982) This School House Rock video actually addresses this issue very well, even though it was probably not intended.
If anything can be gleamed from the telegraph, it’s that people have been through this before. Somehow, people figured out how to best use technology by applying it to their needs. History repeats, albeit at a fast pace.
References
Czitrom, D. J. (1982). Media and the American mind: From Morse to McLuhan. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press.
School House Rock – Telegraph Line. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from YouTube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4hw-KCnJts
Swearengen on YouTube. Retrieved January 27, 2009, from YouTube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiGMVtfzfrE
Its funny how we seem stuck in this cycle of OH NO CHANGE, but everytime, within a few years we are all using the new technology.
Comment by Nole — January 27, 2009 @ 10:05 pm
Great job Brian. Thought you did a clever way of tying in the theme of uncertainty to new innovations/technologies. Anecdotes about the penny papers and needing to include telegraph news for survival – much like today’s papers uncertainties and needs to take things online for survival – were very interesting. Cheers.
Comment by michael bean — January 27, 2009 @ 10:06 pm
Your presentation reminded me of the ways that we use the telegraph back in the old days
and then connected with the way we use the internet now. There are some differences, because they’re different technologies, but we use them kind of the same way. Like Twitter and receiving a telegram from my father! Well, the telegram took a longer time than Twitter, but I would love to receive a twit from my father any time!
Comment by Rubi Romero — January 27, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
I’ve been looking at the early days of radio and seeing similarities with the internet also. It’s fascinating how the patterns recur with each new technology. One thing that seems fundamentally different is that relatively few individual could be instantaneously connected by telegraph (although many were when the next newspaper came out), many more could be instantly connected by radio (the it was signal aimed at a broad audience rather than a singular dispatch), but the internet transcends both instantaneous, individual and mutl-modal (one to many, many to one, one to another).
Comment by Ross — January 27, 2009 @ 10:07 pm
Great use of School House Rock.
I liked the visuals you choose for your slides and your presentation was well-organized. I think we can draw more parallels between how the telegraph changed news reporting and how the Internet has had similar effects. We only skimmed the surface of that convo.
Comment by Paolo — January 27, 2009 @ 10:10 pm
The Deadwood example is very creative.
In addition, I find our discussion about the similarities between telegraph and internet very useful. It is more obvious that the Internet is not bolt from the blue. Thanks.
Comment by filizefe — January 27, 2009 @ 10:11 pm
Very interesting, Brian. I love how you contrast modern technology with historical references. Good job!
Comment by Renee — January 27, 2009 @ 10:12 pm
Hey Brian – Al is a pretty good surrogate for “everyman” although a bit rough around the edges. Seems like all of us have gone through that fear of the unknown with innovations – especially when we locked the computer up, or pushed the wrong phone number and had those embarrassing – oops, i didn’t mean to call you conversations. Disruptive is just that – something that changes the status quo. We may not like it at first, but it seems to become the expected state of being once we work through the remaining steps of embracing the innovation.
Comment by Harry Hayward — January 27, 2009 @ 10:12 pm
Well I didn’t get to see your presentation tonight, but you post above is a very insightful look at how we basically tend to go around in circles with technology. I think your comparison of the telegraph and Twitter is a bizarre at first, but after thinking on it for a minute it kind of holds true. Good work!
Comment by Jen — January 27, 2009 @ 10:12 pm
This is a well-written and thoughtfully considered essay. Your interest in the subject shines through. I appreciate all of the relevant and humorous media clips you included.
I wonder, however, if news really could “no longer be respectable or even significant.” Was news actually either significant or respectable before the telegraph? Wasn’t news quite local and full of insignificance at times? And when has the news business been considered “respectable.”
Comment by sunagurol — January 27, 2009 @ 10:13 pm
Anytime I can incorporate Deadwood into a school assignment… I do. If you like Westerns, watch Deadwood on DVD.
Comment by captainchunk — January 27, 2009 @ 10:14 pm
It’s very funny relevant videos on your post. I really like them even I didn’t have a chance to listen to your presentation but through your post and videos. It is very clear to get the idea of your presentation. Great job. I will check Deadwood out as well.
Comment by yuhsuanchen — January 28, 2009 @ 1:28 am
Hi Brian,
I really enjoyed your presenation. I liked your simple and abstract slides and your narration. You did a nice job of presenting the information as a casual conversation rather than an overly-formal (boring) traditional PowerPoint presentation. Nice job!
Comment by christyluther — January 28, 2009 @ 7:36 pm
Hi, Brian! Thanks for picking a topic close to my heart.
Remember to post a reflection on the experience.
Comment by kegill — January 30, 2009 @ 11:44 pm
I was surprised at how excited I was by the topic. I enjoy Tesla’s work as well and the American West so I guess it makes sense.
I will post a reflection this weekend.
Comment by captainchunk — January 31, 2009 @ 12:09 am