The (Instantized) Information Age

I agree with Carr that there’s something missing from typed words as opposed to printed ones. The new way of writing dictates that we get straight to the point whether it be in blogs or school work. No one seems to have an association to the written word anymore, it’s all about readily accessible information that grabs what’s left of our attention and holds it just long enough to drive a point home.

Don’t get me wrong, the advent of the internet has and will continue to revolutionize how people share and process information. How else could people keep in touch with a friend from high school that lives across the country? Call them? That’s so 1980. Write them a letter? What, are we in the early 1900’s? It’s much easier to write on their Facebook wall, usually in the form of “sup bro? LOL.” That may be easier, but the communication loses its meaning in the process of being instantized.

While I was deployed, we didn’t have regular access to the internet. When we did, I got emails and messages from people that were wondering how I was doing. That was nice and all but the things I remember most were the hand written letters. Pieces of paper that embodied the special few people who would take time out of their notification ridden day and write formulated sentences instead of abbreviating in order to meet a 140 character limit. The written (not keyed) word is special in that it symbolizes a deeper connection to the material whether it’s personal or political.

The facilitation of instantaneous information gathering by the internet can, however, be for the greater good. If a student needs a formula for math homework, it’s immediately available. What if they need a word defined? It’s at their fingertips. For example, one can type into Google “define periphrasis” and get a detailed definition at the top of the page in 0.20 seconds along with “about 29,700 results.” Political information can be gathered quickly from the internet as well. People’s opinions in editorials, factual evidence, political surveys, candidate’s speeches all within the realm of a few key strokes and a couple of mouse clicks. This leads to the easier sharing of ideas, but one has to wonder if this is really a good thing. Everyone has the ability to write whatever they want on the internet for billions of people to see. In the United States, the most extreme views of both prominent political parties are featured on websites catered to their respective affiliates, often presenting blatantly false headlines (click bait) in the name of ad revenue. What happens when people read these articles and take them as gospel? The answer to that question is something that America is plagued with today. The belief in false truths put forth by people with a self-serving agenda leading to an ignorant populace inhabited by people with idle hands who refuse to do real fact searching.

My views are reflected by this quote by Hank Moody in season 1 episode 5 of Californication:

The internet was supposed to set us free, democratize us, but all it's really given us is Howard Dean's aborted candidacy and 24 hour a day access to [expletive]. People... they don't write anymore, they blog. Instead of talking, they text, no punctuation, no grammar: LOL this and LMFAO that. You know, it just seems to me it's just a bunch of stupid people pseudo-communicating with a bunch of other stupid people at a proto-language that resembles more what cavemen used to speak than the King's English.

Don’t take me as a pessimist, though. Admittedly, I sound like one here but I really am all for the advancement of technology. It is, however, a responsibility of all who use it to remain diligent so as not to get taken for a ride we pay for with our ability to think.