I have long been interested in the cognitive impact of new media. It started when I read Orality and Literacy by Walter Ong. The changes in the mind as men moved into the written world, and then as men moved into the printed world have been well explored by the specialist- but I think little understood in common culture.
Of course it is far too early to understand the full impact of recent media. But surely - just as so much of the common practice of our lives is dictated (or a product) of print technology - so our lives will change as the full impact of the new media is felt.
I have been reflecting on my own mind in light of this post read last week. The VC posting decries the loss of attention caused by an overwhelming amount of information.
What information consumes is rather obvious: it consumes the attention of its recipients. Hence a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention
I agree with the idea that the wealth of information I consume on a day to day basis affects my attention span. As a generalist, I love the new media. I can spend all day learning and discovering and generalizing. But as the opportunities have grown wider, my ability to focus has grown slimmer. I find myself more impatient with long reading, less able to digest and recover argument and content. And I find myself less able to write forcefully.
In the words of the great boss.
57 channels and nothing’s on.
Thank you for this post. Not that it justifies some notions I've had for some time, but that it puts it to words.
When we're working on something here, a website, a brochure, etc. I also try to think about the context in which it will be used. All too often I realize that there is so much visual noise out there that the piece in question should likely be a place to rest the eye rather than entertain it.
Again, here's another topic I'd like to talk through and I wonder if this keyboard will do it justice.
No, Dave - that is another good corrolary. How do we create an environment of focus, rest, renewal (oh yeah - Community) on the web, and fight the nervous, overwhelming noise. I'm thinking I need to discipline myself to write more and read less.
Where'd you go, Rob?
Come back.