Today, quite often you can hear arguments about the information society and the so-called information revolution. Interest in this topic is due to significant changes that occur almost daily in the life of every person and the world community as a whole.
What is the information revolution?
In the process of the development of human civilization, there have been several information revolutions, as a result of which qualitative transformations have taken place in society, contributing to an increase in people's living standards and culture. In the most general sense, the information revolution is a significant improvement in social relations due to dramatic changes in the collection and processing of information. It is well known that information provokes changes and is of great importance for social development. Each person in the process of his personal growth is faced with something new and unknown to himself before. This provokes a feeling of uncertainty and even fear. The desire to get rid of this sensation pushes to actions aimed at finding new information.
The amount of information is constantly increasing and at a certain moment ceases to correspond to the bandwidth of communication channels, which entails an information revolution. Thus, the information revolution is a quantum leap in terms of data processing methods. A fairly widespread today has also received the definition given by A. I. Rakitov. According to the scientist, the information revolution is an increase in the volume and change of tools and methods of collecting, processing, storing and transmitting information that is available to the public.
General characteristics of the first information revolution
The first information revolution began simultaneously with the spontaneous appearance of human articulate speech, that is, language. The appearance of speech is a necessity due to the collective form of organizing life and working together, the development and existence of which are impossible without adequate information exchange between individuals. Language had a tremendous impact on the consciousness of people and their understanding of the world. Knowledge gradually accumulated and transmitted from generation to generation through numerous legends, tales and myths. Primitive society was characterized by "living knowledge." Their carriers, custodians and distributors were shamans, elders and priests, after the death of which some knowledge was lost, and sometimes several centuries took their re-formation.
The first information revolution has exhausted its capabilities and ceased to meet the requirements of the times. That is why, at a certain moment, the realization came that it was necessary to create some auxiliary means that would preserve knowledge in time and space. A similar tool was later documented data recording.
Distinctive features of the second information revolution
The second information revolution began about 5 thousand years ago, when writing appeared in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and then in China and Central America. Initially, people learned to fix their knowledge in the form of drawings. "Picturesque Writing" was called pictography. Pictograms (drawings) were applied on the walls of caves or on the surface of rocks and depicted moments of hunting, military scenes, love messages, etc. Due to the fact that pictographic writing does not require special literacy and knowledge of a certain language, it was accessible to every person and preserved to this day.
With the advent of states, writing evolved. It is impossible to imagine the government of the country without an ordered written documentation, which is necessary to establish order within the state, as well as to conclude political, trade and other types of agreements with neighbors. For such rather complex actions, pictorial writing is not enough. Gradually, pictograms began to be replaced by conventional signs and graphic symbols, drawings disappeared, and the letter was constantly becoming more complicated. The number of literate people grew, especially after the invention of alphabetical writing and the appearance of the first book. Written consolidation of information significantly accelerated the process of sharing social experience and the development of society and statehood.
The significance of the third information revolution
The third information revolution dates back to the Renaissance. Most scientists associate its beginning with the invention of the printing press. The emergence of this innovation is a merit of the German Johann Guttenberg. The invention of printing has made significant adjustments to the socio-political, economic and historical-cultural life of the population. Printing houses and bookselling institutions were opened everywhere, newspapers, notes, magazines, textbooks, maps were printed, institutions were founded that taught not only theology, but also secular disciplines such as mathematics, law, medicine, philosophy, etc. The industrial revolution, what happened in the 18th century would not have been possible without the information revolution preceding it.
Fourth information revolution
It began in the XIX century, during the invention and widespread use of fundamentally new means of information communication, such as telephone, radio, photography, television, sound recording. These innovations have allowed many people at a distance of thousands of kilometers from each other to instantly exchange voice messages. A new stage in the development of society has begun, since the emergence of technological innovations is always associated with economic growth and an increase in the standard of living and culture.
Fifth Information Revolution
Many scientists consider the fourth and fifth stages not separately, but in the aggregate. They believe that these are successive stages of the information revolution, which continues today. Achievements of the past were not only not destroyed, but also continued to develop, mutating and connecting with new technologies. Since the 50s of the XX century, people began to use digital computing technology in their practical activities. The process of the information revolution takes on a truly global character, affecting each person individually and the world community as a whole. The widespread adoption and use of computer technology has provoked a real information boom. The information revolution is a step into a bright, beautiful and successful future.
Alternative periodization of the information revolution
There are other options for periodization of the information revolution. The most famous concepts belong to O. Toffler and D. Bell. According to the first of them, in the process of development of society, three waves can be distinguished: agricultural, industrial and information, which is based on knowledge. D. Bell also distinguishes three, not five periods. According to the scientist, the first information revolution occurred about 200 years ago, when the steam engine was invented, the second - about 100 years ago, when astounding successes were recorded in the field of energy and chemistry, and the third belongs to the present. He claims that it is precisely today that mankind is undergoing a technological revolution, in which information and high-quality information technologies occupy a special place.
