How Mass Media Destabilizes Society

A lesson from the printing revolution

Gutenberg’s printing press was revolutionary for Western civilization — it increased the spread of information, led to widespread literacy, and catalyzed scientific development as new inventions and discoveries could be shared on a mass scale. It’s certainly a contender for “most important invention of all time”, and its positive effects on society cannot be overstated.

However, as with so many new technologies, unintended consequences came prepackaged with the good.

The printing press, in addition to its undeniably useful contributions, also facilitated unprecedented confusion in Europe: political upheaval, disinformation, and wars & revolutions. The turmoil in wake of the printing press’ widespread adoption highlights an important — yet often overlooked — aspect of information technology: its potential to destabilize society…

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Mass Adoption

By the time Johannes Gutenberg invented his printing press in 1440, printing was already long-established in the far East. Woodblock printing had been used in China since ~220 AD, and there’s evidence moveable-type printing had been used since the 11th century.

But Gutenberg brought a new version of the technology to the West. Borrowing from earlier screw presses (which were modeled after ancient olive and wine presses), Gutenberg’s design consisted of a long handle that turned a heavy screw, exerting pressure against the paper. The paper was laid over the moveable type which was mounted on a platform, or “platen”. The moveable type — the small blocks that formed each letter or character — could now be created quickly and precisely due to a new mold Gutenberg also invented.

His two innovations, the movable-type printing press and the new mold, drastically reduced the cost and increased the speed of printing in Europe. For example, Gutenberg’s press could produce roughly 3600 pages a day compared to about 40 using other methods. In 1455, Gutenberg used his press to print an edition of the Latin Vulgate Bible in Mainz, Germany, and it wasn’t long before his invention spread to all of Europe.

Within a few decades, the moveable-type printing press had reached over 200 cities in a dozen countries. By the year 1500, roughly 20 million volumes had been produced by the press, and its output only grew exponentially from there — estimates are that 150-200 million copies were produced in the 16th century. The age of mass communication had officially begun.

Reformation and Revolution

The printing press’s effects on western civilization were immense. Books and pamphlets could be now printed in the thousands allowing ideas to travel further and faster than ever before. Interest in literacy and learning increased, bolstering a more widely educated populace. People also felt more connected than ever — the writings of someone hundreds of miles away could touch previously isolated peoples easily. Information was now consumed en masse, and the demand seemed to be endless.

But this had some downstream repercussions. Since information traveled so fast, previously obscure or “radical” opinions could now become mainstream, and these ideas sometimes threatened the power of political and religious authorities. Historian Ada Palmer states:

“Whenever a new information technology comes along, and this includes the printing press, among the very first groups to be ‘loud’ in it are the people who were silenced in the earlier system, which means radical voices.”

Since new technologies require effort and risk to adopt, it’s usually the marginalized voices who become early adopters. The most noteworthy example of this phenomena in the wake of Gutenberg’s invention is the Protestant Reformation. Some scholars have cited the printing press as the chief factor in the Reformation’s success.

After Martin Luther posted his “95 Theses” in 1517, his works went on to be published half a million times over the next decade — he was the first “best-selling author” of the 1500s. Works by reformers like Calvin and Bullinger also sold in the thousands while Catholic apologists hastily printed counter arguments to the rapidly-spreading ideas. It was an ideological war fought on paper, and the printing press proved to be mightier than the pen.

The Reformation brought about a drastic split in worldviews for the people of Western Europe and beyond. No longer did the West share a single faith, as several denominations quickly split off from the Catholic Church over theological differences. Previously Catholic strongholds in Northern Europe became Lutheran or Calvinist, and in England, Anglicanism dominated. The printing press, though not the initiator of the divide, facilitated what may have been a regional or even individual complaint into a worldwide issue.

Besides religious turmoil, the printing press also contributed to various political revolutions. The French Revolution in the late 18th century, for example, was spurred on by coordinated propaganda campaigns distributed via pamphlets printed by Gutenberg’s invention. These pamphlets promoted Enlightenment principles and called for rebellion against the monarchy. And to reach illiterate citizens, political cartoons became popular. The ideas that whipped France into a frenzy would have never spread so quickly without the printing press.

The American Revolution, too, was accelerated by pamphlets owing their origin to Gutenberg’s press. Ben Franklin and Paul Revere among others were prominent revolutionaries who published propaganda in an effort to slander the British. In one fake newspaper article from 1782, Franklin alleged that a group of Native Americans, at Britain’s behest, committed atrocities — including scalping — against Patriots. He hoped the gruesome story would outrage European readers and influence peace talks with Britain.

The printing press also affected the economy — it “stole jobs” from skilled workers. Before Gutenberg’s invention, scribes were in high demand, and bookmakers employed trained artisans to hand-copy and illuminate manuscripts. The printing press made their skillset obsolete, though.

Modern “Printing Presses”

In today’s world where new “printing presses” have emerged in the form of social media and AI, it’s important to reflect on — and anticipate — the destabilizing nature of mass media technology. Indeed, we’ve already seen their effects shift the geopolitical landscape.

Though its impact is debated, many people believe social media such as Facebook played an integral role in facilitating the protests and uprisings during the 2010-2012 Arab Spring revolution — it’s even been called the “Facebook Revolution.” Both protesters and counter protesters used the platform to coordinate action, resulting in destabilization of nearly a dozen Arab countries.

And it’s hard to argue that politics in general have remained stable after the introduction of social media. Political polarization has only increased as information — both true and false — bombards western populations. The ideological war previously fought on paper is now digital.

The printing press and the turmoil that followed its adoption is a reminder that, though the rapid spread of information brings many advantages, we should also take into account its potential for widespread destabilization. Several questions will need to be answered in wake of our own modern “printing presses”, such as: Is our civilization doomed to fracture as a result of the mass media technologies we’ve introduced? What can we do to mitigate this fracturing? Or is it actually a good thing we might become more decentralized?