What If Social Media Had Emerged in the 1920s? A Speculative Journey
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The Role of Social Media in Shaping History
Could we have advanced more swiftly over the last century, or would we have regressed into something unrecognizable?
There's plenty to critique about our leaders and authority figures. Similarly, the emergence of the Internet and various technological innovations has led to numerous adverse consequences. However, today’s discussion isn't about whether online platforms have improved or worsened our lives. Most would likely concur that we need to find a balance between fostering online respect and empowering individual voices.
Instead, I want to embark on a thought experiment. I'm intrigued by alternate histories, where events unfolded differently than in our current reality. So let's conjure an alternate timeline where social media became mainstream long before the early 2000s. Imagine if computers and video technology had been developed at least fifty years earlier than they were. Had they emerged in the early 20th century, some form of the Internet could have materialized, offering a platform for social media.
How might this have evolved, and how could national and global events have been influenced by such a change?
The first video explores the idea of social media existing in the 1920s, offering a humorous take on how interactions might have looked if platforms like Facebook and Twitter had been around.
Imagining an Alternate Universe
If television and cinema had been invented in the 1850s (with the telephone and radio emerging around the American Revolution), the trajectory of the Civil War would have been radically different. Picture a civilian witnessing two brothers from the same family in a brutal conflict on a Kentucky battlefield, projected on a rudimentary television screen. Consider the impact on American society if, in the summer of 1873, people were watching Sojourner Truth interviewed by Joseph Pulitzer on an evening news program.
It's conceivable that household computers could have emerged by the 1910s, leading to a version of the World Wide Web in the 1920s or 30s, gaining traction by the 1940s. While a digital divide might still exist across socioeconomic classes, the incorporation of such technology into public education could have drastically altered the latter half of the 20th century.
Suppose that before 1920, many of America’s political leaders remained unchanged. If widespread dissatisfaction with Woodrow Wilson’s presidency had prevailed, could other politicians, such as Hiram Johnson or Frank Lowden, have succeeded him? Would social media have amplified their unconventional ideas?
And consider the implications of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans had no effective treatments during the 1918–1921 outbreak. How might the response have differed with the Internet at their fingertips?
The Spanish Flu and Its Consequences
According to Richard Gunderman from HealthLine, the "Spanish Flu" name arose because Spain was more forthcoming about its outbreak than other nations, including the U.S. Some theories suggest that the pandemic may have originated in rural Kansas, but the truth remains elusive.
Had social media existed in 1918, the narrative would have shifted. Cities were quarantined as the flu spread, severely affecting Indigenous communities, yet this was largely absent from major news outlets. Imagine platforms like Tumblr or Facebook during this period. Would Spaniards have been unfairly blamed for the pandemic?
Perhaps there would have been a blogger advocating for the exile of anyone with ties to Spain or Latin America. Would misinformation proliferate, with some doctors promoting dubious remedies like castor oil?
Additionally, Seventh-Day Adventists might have used the pandemic to argue against the consumption of poultry or pork, citing them as potential carriers of the virus.
During this time, viable treatments for the Spanish Flu were nonexistent. Despite past advancements in vaccination, most diseases lacked effective immunizations. As journalist Leoné Chao-Fung noted, young men and women faced the highest mortality rates due to the flu. The close quarters of soldiers during World War I and the unique virulence of the virus contributed to this troubling trend.
The Spanish Flu may have concluded in 1921, but could it have had a prolonged impact in a world with digital connectivity?
The second video dives deeper into the hypothetical implications of social media during the 1920s, illustrating how public opinion and political discourse might have evolved.
Lessons from the Past: A Path Forward
The years following the Spanish Flu saw a buildup of disastrous policies leading to the Great Depression. Business experts identify several key factors that contributed to this economic downturn, including unregulated bank speculation and poorly planned mass production.
If digital platforms had been available during this time, could many of these missteps have been avoided?
In a post-WWI digital landscape, public health could have been prioritized more effectively. Consider an agronomist like David F. Houston using a 1920s-style Twitter to educate the public about the importance of caution.
Imagine a Republican ticket in 1920 led by Hiram Johnson and Leonard Wood. This partnership could have potentially navigated the nation through challenges that Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover failed to address.
While Franklin D. Roosevelt ultimately guided the country out of the Great Depression in our timeline, it’s intriguing to think about how a Johnson/Wood ticket might have altered our trajectory. With digital media amplifying information about the Spanish Flu, the nation could have been better prepared for the challenges ahead.
A Global Perspective on Digital Influence
Digital advancements would not have been limited to the United States. The potential to shape history globally through electronic media is immense. Spain, for instance, could have been seen as a model for responsible pandemic management.
Imagine King Alfonso XIII utilizing the airwaves to share insights about the flu's effects, promoting transparency and international cooperation. However, such openness might have provoked resentment among global adversaries.
In the ensuing decades, authoritarian figures like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin could have heavily censored the Internet in their nations. If this pattern had emerged, how might U.S. foreign policy and international relations have evolved?
The possibilities are vast, with countless scenarios to explore in this alternate history.