This close reading is inspired by John Berger's "Ways of Seeing". (OK, maybe it's not a reading, but it was an assignment.) Berger observed the ways in which the meaning of medieval paintings changed with the advent of the camera. Judging by his shirt and his haircut, I would say that the advent of the cell phone was a looong way into the future, and the effects of the internet, much less the pocket version, would produce unpredictable changes in the way that we use media.
These days the thought of an image coming to you is (as opposed to you going to the image) is so unremarkable that it's hard to even understand what Berger is so worked up about. The image come to me? Everything comes to me! I can sit on the bus and do my CSCL readings while IM'ing with my friend in Afghanistan, get the number for a pizza place, order a pizza and get home just in time to meet the pizza guy at my door as I read the NYT, delivered right to my pocket everyday. Having so many tools rolled into one is great, but in the same way that certain details of a painting are lost when one zooms in and looks at a painting close up, something can be lost.
Just click it! It's actually only the last thirty seconds!
I never have to face the terrifying prospect of talking to someone anymore. Instead of saying "hi" I can just devote that time to staring at my phone. Half the time I'm not even doing anything on it, I'm just looking for things to do on it. Besides the unacceptable amount of time that I spend futzing with my phone that I don't spend talking to people on the bus (bus people are people too!), I am pretty sure that it's draining my ability to think gud. When all of the information in the world is at my fingertips, why do I need to remember anything? My attention span has shrunk down to about 15 seconds max and I definitely believe that the phone has a lot to do with that. Who knows what else I'm losing because of this thing?
I don't care, I still love it.
I think it enforces your point about short attention spans when you tell us that the video you embedded is only 30 seconds long in order to encourage us to watch it. I still didn't watch the whole 30 seconds. What does that say about me?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post!! I like how you talk about all of the negative things that the iphone is doing to you but you still love it. I don't blame you. Like you said it has so much to offer!
ReplyDeleteI like the connection you made to Berger. I found it kind of hard at first to understand his position as well, but that must be because I am so used to having images/information come to me that I saw nothing strange about it. I guess the bigger impact, though, is that iPhones and similar technology cause us to start considering ourselves as the subject/the person receiving in all instances. Like your last paragraph exemplifies, such changes are already altering our social interactions and maybe not for the best.
ReplyDeleteI think the attention span is a very important point. I too have seen a shortening in my attention span when it doesn't involve media. Like reading these posts where we're actually doing the comprehending and making ourselves pay attention. It's much easier to come on here and watch the youtube videos the class posted than read all the written posts. I've watched more videos on here (in full or just a bit) than read full blog posts.
ReplyDeleteSo this was a very intriguing post I too have a very short attention span as well as memory. With that being said I really didn't pay attention to the clip until the last few seconds. He was talking about the details and how when we look into the painting for the details and don't look at the whole picture. I think that because of the new technology we now are even more impatient and along with that we don't see the whole picture instead we just want the details in order so that we may be more informed or entertained.
ReplyDeleteVery great illustration of the capabilities of the iPhone. I, too, use my iphone for almost everything and it is definitely a good tool for multi tasking. And I totally agree with how you say your attention span has decreased because of technology. I've noticed this too, and I think it relates to McLuhan's readings about how new technologies create new environments (we live in one now that focuses on immediate gratification, so we're bad at focusing). For example, we don't even have to know how to spell words anymore.. they are auto corrected for us in our texts, emails, and word documents. Great post!
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