The Rise and Fall of the Global Social Network

Long before text messages, emails, and social media, there was another platform that connected millions of people across the world—one small card at a time. Cheap, personal, and remarkably versatile, the postcard became the nineteenth century's answer to instant communication. In this episode, we explore the extraordinary history of the postcard, tracing its rise from a simple postal innovation to what many consider the world's first global social network. We examine how these modest cards carried everything from holiday greetings and everyday conversations to vital military intelligence that helped shape the outcome of the Second World War. The story reveals that while postcards have largely been replaced by digital communication, they remain a remarkable record of human connection, preserving moments of ordinary life that continue to offer extraordinary insights into our shared past.https://www.economist.com/britain/2026/07/29/the-world-is-entering-a-post-postcard-era