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https://medium.com/ellemeno/the-memeocene-humanitys-new-epoch-589ebdcd08a1>
"As human population and technology grow, there is increasing talk that we have
entered a new epoch — the Anthropocene or epoch of humans. The idea behind the
appellation is that the Earth–its biology and geology–is being altered by human
activity.
There is merit to such an idea. True, humans are altering the planet
geologically and ecologically, but humanity itself is being altered by another
factor, and there should be a name for this new epoch of humanity: the
Memeocene.
In the 1500s, the printing press revolutionized how humans communicated. In the
1920s, radio did the same, followed by television in the 1950s. Innovations in
technology are usually associated with improvements in human society. It was
understandably assumed that the development of the Internet around the
beginning of the 2000s would usher in a new golden era of human communication,
knowledge sharing, and progress.
It did not.
Instead, despite the best intentions, the Internet ushered in the Memeocene
(pronounced MĒM-oh-sēn): the epoch of memes. Whereas the printing press, radio,
and television increased the intellectual depth and density of human
communication, memes abridge and dumb down human communication. By “meme,” I
mean a short fungible statement, either snide or silly, often hyperbolic, that
oversimplifies ideas, usually with the purpose of mockery. Memes are text
slogans either stand-alone or accompanied by a graphic image that enhances the
mockery."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
