Chrenov, N. A. Borders of Communication Technologies’ Escalation: Nostalgia for Space

Abstract: The author of the article touches upon the issue about the relation between culture and civilization that are being viewed in terms of development of communication processes throughout history. The importance of this problem is especially recognized due to the appearance of TV broadcast at the second half of the XXth century and the Internet over the last decade. However, the only provision being actually recognized is that in actual practice communication has been existing since the times of appearance of the written language. The history of mass communication relates to the successive involvement of different technologies in the cultural process. Quite often these technologies take communication processes beyond the borders of culture. Technology represents civilization preferences. However, the other side of mass communication addresses culture which, in accordance with Johan Huizinga’s statement, ‘is born in personality and therefore retains its health in personality’. This discordance between preferences of civilization and culture plays the decisive role in raising the problem about personal potential of mass communication. Where mass communication expresses preferences of civilization, personality plays the role of an object in the communication process. Civilization tends to expand the communication space and therefore to involve as many people as possible into the communication process. Mass communication is meant to solve the problems that usually arise in the history of civilization when mass societies appear and processes of massification of culture are started. Personality becomes an actor of communication processes only when technology answers the preferences of culture but does not take communication beyond the borders of culture as it often happens and what mass media such as cinematograph, TV broadcast and the Internet often demonstrates. Sometimes it takes too long for the critical evaluation of the new communication media created on the basis of advanced technologies to be formed. So the humanity is often too excited about the opportunities that the new mean of communication may offer. Such statement of the question makes it necessary to undertake further historical researches of communication but not in the apologetic meaning as it often happens.

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