Birkerts: Into the Electronic Millennium (Conversation)

Coming to terms: Birkerts describes the past, present and future of literature in its relationship with our rapid technological advancement.

 

He argues that our new technologies are damaging the state of literature in three important ways:

 

1) Language Erosion: the deteriorating the “complexity and distinctiveness of spoken and written expression”, (which he argues are abundant only in printed media)

2) Flattening of historical perspectives: by pledging our full loyalty to the internet and technology we sacrifice wisdom and become more shallow as a species

3) The waning of the private self: The remarkable recent increase in availability of texts and information he believes will “vanquish the ideal of the isolated individual”.

Forward:

When discussing the “waning of private self”, Birkets suggest the following:

 

“We may even now be in the first stages of a process of social collectivization that will over time all but vanquish the idea of isolated individuality”

 

Forward cont./Counter:

There were a number of points brought up by Birkerts that I simply do not agree with, but this one really stuck out as a somewhat bizarre notion. He is saying that with ease of access and increased availability of texts/literature/everything will come a decrease in our individuality. I think anyone that’s really made use our increased availability hasn’t just become part of a hivemind, I think that it does the exact opposite of what he says, I think that an increased access to texts will allow a person to a wide variety of opinions and different sides to arguments and will be able to form their own, individual opinion on matters.

Take an Approach:

I decided to link to a different source/conversation. This is an article by BBC that discusses how our new technology, specifically the internet, has impacted the world of literature.

The World Wide Web at 25: Changing literature forever: http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140304-it-will-never-be-the-same-again

 

Facilitate:

Questions:

• Do you think that our generation, in terms only of education and knowledge, have become too dependent on our technology? Would you be able to learn at the same proficiency using only print material?

• Do you think Birkerts is overreacting?

• Do you agree with Birkerts in that our immediate access to a huge variety of texts will deteriorate our individuality?

Personally I think that Birkerts has a dramatized and extremely cynical view on technology, and seems blind to the countless benefits that come with an increased availability and access to countless texts. Some people are simply afraid of change.