Modernism is largely characterized by the Cartesian mind-body split. In this philosophy, the mind and body are seen as separate and disconnected entities and the mind is elevated over the body for its rational abilities. This mistrust of the body brought with it a devaluing of aesthetics. If the body can't be trusted, then neither can its emotional and physical reactions to external stimuli. I believe the Cartesian split has affected society's evaluation of mass media in profound, and often unseen, ways.
One thing I hear A LOT from people (particularly parents and teachers) when discussing mass media is how fearful they are of all the new technology that comes out and replaces/alters the things we once held dear. See if any of these complaints sound familiar...
Kids these days...
... have terrible handwriting; all they can do is type or text!
... don't use proper grammar/spelling/punctuation when they communicate; everything is shortened!
... don't buy/listen to albums; all they do is cherry pick songs and make playlists!
and, of course...
... they don't read anymore! ... all they do is stare at a screen! ... I wish I could get my students to just read one book! ... they have no attention span!
Of course, kids these days ARE reading a lot of things. They're reading blogs, walls, comments, texts, tweets, images, games, advertisements, etc. But it is true that they may not be picking books up at the same rate that they used to. And many people are upset about this. They claim it signals some kind of huge decline in intelligence or culture or taste... etc. There's even a debate about the changing format of books and other printed text as the popularity of electronic media and eReaders is on the rise. The late children's author Maurice Sendak expresses his concern over this transition, giving his opinion on eBooks.
“I hate them. It’s like making believe there’s another kind of sex. There isn’t another kind of sex. There isn’t another kind of book! A book is a book is a book.”
A lot of people share his opinion (though I doubt whether they'd express it in quite the same acerbic and witty manner). And the truth is, I have no problem with any of these concerns and complaints. My problem is with the assumption that these concerns and complaints are rational and therefore can be defended as the 'only right way to think' on such subjects.
I'm sure it would not be difficult to assemble a panel of the most intelligent and educated people in the world and hear as many different opinions on the merits of printed vs. electronic media as there were people on the panel. The truth is that these kinds of opinions are usually aesthetic in nature. They are mostly based on taste and emotional reactions, not logic.
Many philosophers argue with the idea of linear human progress. They do not see moving forward in time as being inherently connected to moving forward in terms of the sophistication of human thought and action. Just because something is newer/faster/easier does not mean it is better. Just because we make strides in gaining justice for a marginalized group in one decade does not mean we won't or can't continue to harm that group in the future. There are plenty of examples of this. And many philosophers point to Modernism as one of them. The devaluing of the body and aesthetics has been counterproductive and harmful in many respects because the reality is, whether we acknowledge it or not, the body plays an enormous role in how we think and behave. Claiming that it is possible to make decisions solely based on logic and reason while ignoring our aesthetic responses is futile. Yet this way of viewing the world has permeated almost every area of society and culture.
I grew up in the age of transition from cassette tapes to CD's. At the time, I was more than happy to make the switch because CD's were so much more convenient - easier to organize and listen to. Now, as we make the transition from hard copy music (CD's) to electronic (mp3's), I notice a resistance. I still like to buy CD's. I like to hold the case in my hand. I like to display them on racks in my house. I like to own a complete album by an artist rather than a series of single tracks. None of this resistance is rational, though. It's not based on logic. It's a purely aesthetic reaction.
When a student texts the word GR8 instead of great or B4 instead of before, rationality would claim that the same thing is being accomplished. Words are being communicated and understanding is reached. Aesthetically, however, it is a different story. It is important to make this distinction before attempting to have a civil conversation about the rapid changes it often feels technology is forcing upon us.
There's nothing wrong with arguing for the preservation of something based on its aesthetic value. But we're not moving the dialogue forward by simply lamenting and complaining that kids these days are lazy or sloppy just because they no longer know how to write in cursive.
