Critics and luddites say that the Internet is creating a culture in which shallow knowledge is the standard and that in a few years, no one will be willing to read anything longer than a tweet. This vision is defeatist and, as much as I agree with the problems to which this prediction is a reaction, I refuse to get behind it.
First off, I’d like to rail against the “our future is doomed” folks. Oh ye of little faith!!!! Anyone who says that technology will ruin the youth of our culture, however big their soapbox and however stuffed their shirt, is ignoring eons of history. Guess what, after all this time… we’re still here. We’re still here after all that’s happened; after the invention and implementation of every technology that has ever been created. For those who see the internet as a wild beast set to devour us, allow me to draw your attention to an invention that preceded the Internet: fire. True, fire is not an invention as clearly man-made as the Internet. But in both cases, the technology is more about an ability to harness a certain type of power. For the Internet, the power is in the form of information. For fire, the technology was founded on ways to control the location and intensity of combustion. Perhaps the discoverers of fire tech where the first to experience awe at our ability to create things that can destroy. How many forests were burned before man learned to respect the power of fire? No one can tell. But what we do know is that civilization persevered.
Now, away from analogies and back to today. What I want is for the naysayers to replace their pessimistic arrogance with belief in young people. The best way to turn someone off is to insult his or her intelligence and potential. Why should the children of the TV generations be able to get through and come out the other end intelligent enough to keep the world working and not the generation of the social network and the tweet? My prediction: they will make it and they will be amazing. But they will be better having had our support. And that support should come from a place of understanding and faith.
It is important to identify the problems that our new technologies create. But any analysis of these problems is pointless if there is little faith that anyone, especially the most tech immersed, can develop a mind sharp enough to help move our culture forward. The goal of our discourse should always be the advancement our society. When there is a problem brought to the surface, be ready to offer a solution. And that solution should be designed to give people the space to rise to their greatest potential.
I think you picked up where I left off on my blog post! I ended with a lament, but like you, I don't want to believe nor do I truly think that we are doomed because of technology. I do think analysis of current behaviors and mindsets is helpful -- and your suggestion of assessing ourselves while remaining hopeful is a good one. But I think we need to do more than just adopt a hopeful posture. Maybe Postman was right: we need to start with education.
ReplyDeleteOh I hope and pray the future will be as you suggest. My concern is that - while yes we have survived until now, who is to say that things are better? Even creatures that become extinct survive until the end. That doesn't mean that their existence is improving. Call me pessimistic but the self-absorbed, me-first attitudes brought on by technology are scary. And I'm not sure I want to trust my existence to them. Absolutely start with education. If only the younger generations would be willing to learn.
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