The Impact of Early Social Media on 20th Century History
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What if social media had emerged in the 1920s? Would it have accelerated our progress over the last hundred years, or would we have regressed into a dystopian society?
The public often expresses frustration with leaders and authority figures, especially in light of the negative effects brought on by the Internet and various digital innovations.
My aim here isn’t to argue whether the Internet has improved or worsened our lives; rather, I believe most people agree on the necessity of balancing online civility with empowerment.
Instead, let’s engage in a thought experiment. I’m intrigued by alternate histories where events diverged from our known timeline. Imagine a scenario in which social media became mainstream long before the early 2000s.
Picture this: computers and video cameras invented half a century earlier than they actually were. If these technologies had emerged in the early 20th century, we would likely have seen some form of the Internet, which would have inevitably led to a version of social media.
How might this have influenced the development of national and global issues?
This speculation is, of course, hypothetical. For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that many key historical figures would still have pursued their ambitions.
In what ways could our societal dynamics have been enhanced or impeded by such a scenario? What influence might social media have had?
An Imagined Reality
If television and film had been invented in the 1850s, along with the telephone and radio around the time of the 1776 American Revolution, the trajectory of the American Civil War would have been significantly altered. Visualizing the horror of brothers from the same family attempting to kill one another on a Kentucky battlefield, broadcast on a black-and-white TV, would have profoundly impacted public perception. Imagine Americans in their living rooms during the summer of 1873 watching Sojourner Truth being interviewed by Joseph Pulitzer on the evening news.
By the 1910s, we might have seen the first household computers. A version of the World Wide Web could have emerged in the 1920s or 1930s, gaining momentum in the 1940s.
While a digital divide would likely have persisted across economic classes, the introduction of technology in public schools could have drastically changed the landscape of the latter 20th century.
Let’s assume that prior to 1920, the political landscape remained largely unchanged. If Woodrow Wilson's presidency faced widespread dissatisfaction, could alternative leaders have taken his place? Would social media have amplified the innovative ideas of figures like Hiram Johnson or Frank Lowden? Perhaps it could have elevated the profiles of notable war heroes such as Leonard Wood or John Pershing.
Then there was the devastating 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. Unlike the COVID-19 crisis, Americans faced the 1918–1921 pandemic without effective medical solutions. How might the presence of the Internet have changed America’s response?
Conspiracy Theories and Public Reaction
As noted by Richard Gunderman in HealthLine, the term “Spanish Flu” gained traction because Spain was more forthcoming about the virus than other nations, including the U.S. Some theories suggest that the outbreak may have originated in rural Kansas, though no one can confirm its true origin.
Had social media existed in 1918, the narrative would have shifted dramatically. While major cities faced quarantines as the flu spread rapidly, the plight of Indigenous communities received little media attention.
Imagine platforms like Tumblr or Facebook buzzing with discussions during 1919 and 1920. Spaniards could have become scapegoats for the pandemic, with stigma extending to Hispanic, Latino(a), and Chicano(a) communities, as well as Tribal Nations.
Could we have seen figures like Gerald Winrod advocating for the exile of anyone linked to Spain or Latin America?
Might “Bombay Fever” have been portrayed as a co-conspirator to the Spanish Flu, inciting hostility against North Americans of South Asian descent?
Irresponsible medical professionals might have propagated dubious remedies online, while Seventh-Day Adventists could have exploited the situation to condemn the consumption of poultry and pork, citing them as potential vectors for the virus.
Compounding these issues was the lack of effective treatments for the Spanish Flu at the time. Although early vaccinations against smallpox were developed, other diseases still lacked reliable cures.
As journalist Leoné Chao-Fung highlights, young adults suffered the highest mortality rates during the 1918 outbreak. This was not only due to the absence of germ theory in medicine but also because soldiers, primarily male, lived in close quarters during World War I. Young Americans, aged 20 to 40, had robust immune systems that were ill-prepared for the unique strain of the Spanish Flu, leading to their designation as part of the “Lost Generation.”
Progress or Setbacks?
The Spanish Flu ended in 1921 in our timeline. Would its impact have lingered longer if digital communication had existed during the Roaring Twenties?
Eight years elapsed between the flu’s decline and the stock market crash of 1929. During that time, a series of poor policies created conditions that culminated in the Great Depression.
Business professor Barry M. Mitnick and economics professor Aleksandar Tomic identified seven key factors leading to this challenging era:
- Unregulated bank speculation
- Reckless investor behavior on “Black Tuesday” (October 24, 1929)
- Poor planning in mass production of goods
- High personal debt leading to reduced consumer spending
- Andrew Mellon’s ineffective oversight at the Treasury
- Herbert Hoover’s weak leadership
- The Smoot-Hawley Bill (The United States Tariff Act of 1930)
If early computers and the Internet had been available to the Lost Generation, could many of these errors have been avoided?
There are scenarios where the health of Americans might have been prioritized more in a post-WWI digital landscape, especially with different leadership.
For instance, greater awareness about preventing the Spanish Flu could have made Americans more vigilant. An expert like David F. Houston might have utilized a 1920s version of Twitter or Instagram to warn citizens about Mellon’s missteps. Other Federal Reserve representatives could have felt empowered to advocate for caution to maintain public trust.
Imagine a Republican presidential ticket in 1920 led by Hiram Johnson with Leonard Wood as the vice-presidential candidate. Despite potential jokes about their names, this pairing could have charted a more favorable course than the one set by Harding, Coolidge, and Hoover. Johnson, initially an isolationist, might have evolved into a supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal, while Wood’s foreign policy expertise could have provided a counterbalance to Johnson’s reluctance to engage with the League of Nations.
In our timeline, FDR played a pivotal role in pulling the country out of the Great Depression, and his New Deal legislation led to significant domestic social programs. However, in an alternate universe dominated by Johnson/Wood leadership, FDR might not have risen to national prominence. With digital communication disseminating preventative health measures, the lessons from the Spanish Flu would have been fresh as the nation faced new economic and foreign policy challenges.
Future Possibilities
Digital advancements would undoubtedly transcend U.S. borders. Countless scenarios could have emerged through the use of electronic media, altering our historical path.
Spain’s responsible approach to pandemic management might have led to it being blamed as a “killed messenger.” Conversely, King Alfonso XIII could have utilized broadcasting to share firsthand accounts of the influenza's impact and survival rates.
Even if Alfonso XIII had collaborated with global leaders to use cyberspace for public health awareness, adversaries might have resented such openness. Over the decades, it’s likely that authoritarian figures would have suppressed Internet access in their regions.
If such censorship had become widespread, how would it have reshaped U.S. foreign policy and international relations?
The potential branches of this alternate history are limitless, inviting endless speculation.