The picture of ourselves

From “Among the Disrupted,” a new essay by Leon Wieseltier:

All revolutions exaggerate, and the digital revolution is no different. We are still in the middle of the great transformation, but it is not too early to begin to expose the exaggerations, and to sort out the continuities from the discontinuities. The burden of proof falls on the revolutionaries, and their success in the marketplace is not sufficient proof. Presumptions of obsolescence, which are often nothing more than the marketing techniques of corporate behemoths, need to be scrupulously examined. By now we are familiar enough with the magnitude of the changes in all the spheres of our existence to move beyond the futuristic rhapsodies that characterize much of the literature on the subject. We can no longer roll over and celebrate and shop. Every phone in every pocket contains a “picture of ourselves,” and we must ascertain what that picture is and whether we should wish to resist it.

3 thoughts on “The picture of ourselves

  1. Rhonda Hoffman

    Amazing how low we are sinking…rather than US knowing what we need, the MARKETERS tell us what we need, we rely on search engines to give us the information we want (never mind that THEY give us the information we want, not let us decide the truth as algorithms are force feeding us selective information or as they put it “information that is most pertinent to us” not give us all the information and let us decide), by embrassing all these new technologies without careful vetting by US (we can’t trust the information we get as that is controlled too…was AMAZED at an article I read lately that the American Academy of Pediatrics “updated” their recent study advising no more than 2 hours of screen time a day for children to “the restrictions are evolving”…http://radio.wpsu.org/post/update-screen-time…I can imagine that Apple etc held their feet to the fire) we are creating our own unemployment (not to mention ignorance) and the list goes on…Keep doing what you are doing…HOPEFULLY people will start listening…well I hear that flip phones are becoming “hip” again;)

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