In class #3

Luke Buehrer
In Class Essay #3
3/9/10

Today’s technologies have made for an ever faster world. With the ability of instant communication, information at the click of a button, we are becoming quicker and more efficient in the way we live our lives. When I take a look at these abilities it seems that only good could come form it. However, this may not be the case. Sven Birkerts author of The Owl Has Flown, writes about this very idea. Birkerts says in his essay that we are experiencing a shift in the way we take in information, from vertical thinking to Horizontal thinking. Or as Robert Darnton puts it (referenced by Birkerts), a shift from intensive to extensive thinking. What both authors are saying is that today we look at more text and information, but spend less time focusing on one piece, in thought. Birkerts thinks more on the idea by saying, “Where Time has been commodified, flattened, turned into yet another thing measured, there is no chance that any piece of information can unfold its potential significance” (Birkerts 33). What this means simply is that we are busy, and not wanting to waste time, we put aside things like deep thinking, in order to discover deeper meaning. I agree with Birkerts, the strain for a faster world, caused by new technologies like the computer, has made for less time in deep thought. This ultimately made for a shallower world where quantity is preferred over quality.
Web sites like Google have made research and looking up information incredibly trouble-free. When you have a question, why think, when the answer is just seconds away? Birkerts says that, “We direct our energies to managing information. The computer, our high speed, accessing, storing, and sorting tool, appears as a godsend. It increasingly determines what kind of information we are willing to traffic in; I something cannot be written in code or transmitted, it cannot be important.”(Birkerts 33) Birkerts is saying here that we use our energy sorting out information that we no longer think, but simply let the computer do it for use. This is very destructive to depth. How do you gain depth without thought? Like Birkerts says, “We are experiencing in our times a loss of depth… … swamped by data, and in thrall to the technologies that manipulate it, we no longer think in these larger and necessarily more precise terms”(Birkerts 32).
Computers have brought upon us many conveniences. Among these, communication may be seen as one of the most changed. Before the internet phones and letters were the primary way of communicating. But today texting and chat rooms have filled their place. Letters took skill and effort in order to be done right. Ever letter sent required a carefully, well thought out paper. Because it took so long to receive a letter, letters were needed to be clear and effective. But today’s technologies have taken this art away. Now all you need to do is text someone and in a second they will get it. There is no need for a well constructed letter, but just a fast little couple sentence message (at the most) that required little to no effort or thought. This shows how we demand speed and are willing to sacrifice thought to receive it.
Admittedly, technology is not all bad; it can be a very helpful tool. If used properly wisdom and depth may even be acquired. But to gain this, one must not fall into the conveniences that it offers. Instead use it with caution and care. Gaining information on-line is simple, but to gain depth is hard. A common problem is that people jump around looking at all the information. I think that to gain wisdom, people should find one thing and reflect on it. It s easy to get tempted by the ease, but to gain wisdom, there must be reflection and thought.