Like all blessings, technology is mixed. It unites the near-200 countries of the world but in doing so it obliterates nuance. It provides a wealth of knowledge but the information is superficial compared to what human wisdom requires. Thanks to technology, world society is speeding. The modulator for this rapid dynamic is the wise leader among myriad cultures able to elevate the respresented people into the global mainstream.
According to common psychological wisdom, humans like all animals are born ignorant and are trained to navigate the world around them by their nurturers. In human, the quality of that nurture varies widely but certain constants prevail.
Humans raised with the ineffable quality of love learn to absorb tech advances with guidance. Along that timeline, they also develop the human qualities that can lead to wisdom, including curiosity, courage to take measured chances and the ability to discern between truth and falsehood.
Mass communication did not start with the tech revolution. It started with Gutenberg back in the 1600’s when he made prints of the Bible it had taken Scholars centuries to transcribe by hand. Mass communication is a phenomenon has evolved through Town Criers, Yellow Journalists and now to Social Media. Communication among the masses of the world calls for a new assessment of the personal need to communicate.
From the first yowl after birth, all humans and animals demand to be heard. The social media have satisfied that need. A tech world need now is to active the editor function through the system developed over time since the Gutenberg Bible.
TMI, too much information is the watchword of the modern sociual media tech world. Control of that runaway Infor Highway train is counseled by historical advisors from a simpler age.
Classical American author Mark Twain made the point succinctly over 150 years ago. He said the difference between the right word and the almost right word was the difference between lightening and the lightening bug.
Based on personal experience and observation of the oputside world, the right word seldom appears fully formed with the first thoughts on a subject. The forum of social media, however, can lead to exchanges that lead to deeper thought.
Significantly enough, the social media of developed countries like the US focus on personal stories, such as the finding of a lost cat. The social media of emerging countries focus on national cries for help in freeing themselves from tyrannies.
Communication across cultures in the world’s near-200 co9untries all speaking different languages is a formidable challenge. It beings with the individual becoming a comfortable part in the home culture and then extending the bounty to those deserving a shot at getting a leg up in a complex world.
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