Scaling the Idea of Communication and Literacy

Given a vast historical lens, it becomes clear that communication is a powerful tool that can both unite and divide living things. It is becoming more apparent through on-going research that living things, beyond humans use communication for different functions. Bees dance to share information with their community, even plants likely communicate through smell to warn about potential dangers. As we recognize how communication connects more living things, we are also forced to look more introspectively at the degree to which language and literacy transforms human society. Literacy certainly has the power to elevate others, share influence and encourage collective ‘good’ in the world. However, a historical record also shows how cultures have thrived during periods of widespread illiteracy, demonstrating the degree to which literacy can also divide people, rather than unite them. The unique human ability to learn is what distinguishes us from all living things on the planet, but perhaps, this learning can be applied to our non-human counterparts too. Increased knowledge about non-human communication might give us the insights we need to understand the full complexity of our own changing communication patterns.