The overall point of this essay is alright. Before placing the full blame on the effects of the rise of technology that offers speed of information at the cost of immersive book reading, keep in mind the action orientation of youth. Young people are motivated by action -- the quicker the better -- and are not so easily induced to do anything for a long period of time. The downside re speed of technology is that it prolongs kids' natural urge for varied action well beyond the time when kids are ready for more concentrated mental activity. The games and the computer centered gadgets become more and more oriented to adult interests but rely on a child-like favoring of quick changing short term concentration. Reading a book takes more time than is actually needed to understand its thesis or plot. The slowness of reading opens up "brain time" for reflection and reflection forms relationships linking memories and knowledge and thus fosters creative thinking. Our culture does not favor reflection and "daydreaming' but action. The whole marketing world is based on prompting action now, buy now, and slogans like "go ahead just do it." When I wrote ads for Montgomery Ward, we were requested to add the slogan, "Buy NOW and Save" to every print ad. And that was 1960. Nothing has changed in that respect except the medium of the message. wc
----- Original Message ---- From: joseph berg <[email protected]> To: aesthetics-l <[email protected]> Sent: Fri, July 16, 2010 10:29:31 PM Subject: "A person who [once became] a citizen of the [art] world [entered] a hierarchical universe." http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0DEFD81E39F93AA35754C0A9669D8B63&ref=davidbrooks
