how-old-is-the-internet Digital Archaeology

Digital Archaeology

How old is the internet?

How old is the internet? Counting from ARPANET in 1969, over 50 years; from the public WWW, over 30 years. But when did the "internet-like" experience truly begin? Asking its age is to consider the history of the internet and its current positioning.

01 Technological-Historical Age

Viewing ARPANET start as origin, approximately 55 years old.

02 Cultural-Historical Age

Around 30 years since it became commonly used by ordinary people in the mid-1990s.

03 Perceived Age

The sense of "oldness" that varies by user.

  1. How old were you when you first touched the internet?

  2. Do you think the internet is "young" or "mature"?

Newness vsHistory
Between the image of constant updating and solid history.
Global vsLocal
The common age worldwide and the different sense of "beginning" in each country.
Talk note

This theme is for re-examining the internet not as an "old thing" but as a "still young existence".

ARPANET
The US military and research network that was the predecessor of the internet (started 1969).
World Wide Web
The information sharing system conceived by Tim Berners-Lee in 1989.
History of the Internet
The trajectory of technological, social, and cultural development.
Ice breaker

Imagine the moment the internet was "born". What kind of world do you think it was?

Deep dive

If you compare the internet's age to a "human age", how old do you think it is?

  • When is the internet's "birthday"?
  • How many years until the next major turning point?