Eight milestones in the evolution of human communication are language, writing, printing, telegraphy and telephony, photography and motion pictures, radio and television, digital media, and wireless handheld media.
Language led to the development of an oral culture in which information was passed on by word of mouth from one generation to another.
The invention of an alphabet and the development of a usable surface made writing possible. Writing created a social division in society. Those who could read and write had access to more information than those who could not.
Writing helped create and maintain empires as well as make storehouses of information, such as libraries, possible.
Printing made information available to a larger audience. It helped the development of vernacular languages, aided the Protestant Reformation, and contributed to the spread and accumulation of knowledge.
The telegraph and telephone were the first media to use electricity to communicate. They marked the first time the message could be separated from the messenger. The telegraph helped the railroads move west and permitted the newspapers to publish more timely news. The telephone linked people together in the first instance of a communication network.
Photography provided a way to preserve history, had an impact on art, and brought better visuals to newspapers and magazines. Motion pictures helped socialize a generation of immigrants and became an important part of American culture.
Radio and TV broadcasting brought news and entertainment into the home, transformed leisure time, and pioneered a new, immediate kind of reporting. Television has an impact on free time, politics, socialization, culture, and many other areas as well.
The digital revolution changed the way information was stored and transmitted and made e-commerce possible.
The next communication milestone is the move to mobile media.
In general, it is difficult to predict the ultimate shape of a new medium. New media change but do not replace older media. The pace of media inventions has accelerated in recent years.
