Is a counter-reformation [against social media] in the works? … I think we’re starting to see the beginnings of it

Season 2, Episode 3

I believe sometimes we are too quick to jump on bandwagons and assume that something changing in society is going to move forward unabated, when in my experience societal change often spurs countering movements (that is, once retrenchment of the status quo ceases to have meaning). A recent example (about eight years old at the time of this recording) was the Arab Spring, which demonstrated the potential power of social media to bring people together, have their voices heard, and make change happen… very quickly.

Fast forward to today, and social media is now viewed with a lot more skepticism due to tensions with governments, concerns over information assurance and individual privacy, and a splintering of the movement — platforms coming and going and extraordinary efforts needed by individuals to keep up with all the latest apps (and avoid the latest pitfalls).

In 2011, articles were being written that compared the Arab Spring to the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther’s 95 Theses were spread worldwide in a short time and brought about a challenge to the dominance of the Catholic Church. In this episode, I take that story a century and a half further and suggest that the rest of the story of the Reformation has lessons for today.

Works Referenced:

Standage, T. (2011). Social media in the 16th Century: How Luther went viral. The Economist.