Prehistoric refers to the time before the existence of written or recorded

history. This era is divided into two periods: the Stone Age and the Metal Age. They
are called as such because of the kind of tools that the prehistoric people used during
those times.

As the tools were relatively crude, archeologists believe that a system of writing had
not yet existed during this era. As prehistoric men learned how to sharpen their tools
and use them for hunting, they also acquired the knowledge on how to use these
materials in carving stones. Eventually, this paved the way for them to create a system
of writing, which mark the start of the historic period.

By using sharpened tools made of stones, prehistoric men also learned how to etch on
caves. These caves served as their big canvas while sharpened tools became their pen.
Prehistoric men drew on caves what they see around them, such as animals, nature
and maps.

2. Industrial Age
An industrial city pertains to place where several factories are located or built.
These factories hire people within the locality as laborers or skilled workers. Different
Factories also manufacture different products, such as textile, paper products,
electronic parts, and chemical products, among others.
3. Electronic Age
The word electronic is usually associated with the things that work using
electricity. Desktop computers and televisions sets are examples of electronic devices.
Electronic refers to an object that has electronic components, such as sensors
and microchips, which functions once it is connected to an electrical outlet/.

The Industrial age and the Electronic age are quite similar in the sense that
they thrived in the manufacturing industries in a faster and more efficient way with
the help of equipment that are operated by the machines. However, they can also be
different because the equipment in the Electronic Age are more complex as they run
on electricity instead of fuel.

4. Information Age
We now live in the Information Age, who we can easily gather information
just about anywhere with the use of technology.
Thus, people can visit websites of online newspapers or institutions that
provide the particular information that they need. Nowadays, important details are not
only expressed through texts, but also in the form of images, videos, and music.
Marshall McLuhan Mantras

He is famous for the phrase “the medium is the message” and is the proponent
of the media theory on technological determinism, believed that society is driven by
changes in media and communication technology. McLuhan(2007) explained that
society adapts to advances in technology, thus, changing cultural, political, and even
historical aspects of that society.

Culture Shapes Technology

Despite the views provided by McLuhan, not everyone agrees with his
proportions. Contrary to the idea of technology affecting change to society, cultural
determinism explains that culture and society shapes technology. According to
Winston (1986), a media scholar who advanced the idea of cultural determinism,
society is still in control of technology and the innovations over time do not dictate
how it must adapt and function in relation to these technologies. If there is no need for
the technology, or it does not have a practical use. It will perish.

New Media Categories

There are four main categories of new media and all of them share “certain channel
similarities and are approximately differentiated by types of use, content, and context”,
according to McQuail.

1. Interpersonal communication media. Examples would be telephone, mobile

phone, and email where “content is private and perishable and the relationship
established and reinforced may be more important than information conveyed”
2. Interactive play media. Video and computer-based games, plus virtual reality
devices compose this category.
3. Information search media. The internet and the World Wide Web become
repositories or sources of a vaast collection of information that can be accessed real-
time despite geographical location.
4. Collective participatory media. This refers to the use of the internet for “sharing
and exchanging information, ideas, and experiences and developing active (computer-
mediated) personal relationships (McQuail2020)