I had a minor (major?) rant on Little Elijah about the impact of electronic screens on the development of infants. It got me thinking about how many electronic screens we face in our daily existence.
There are TVs in shop windows. There are the TVs in our homes. For many of us, we work on computers every day, in some form or another. For less of us (but probably anyone reading this), not only do we spend all day working on a computer but large chunks of our leisure time on the computer as well. There are closed circuit TVs that we can see at the shop counter when we duck into the servo for a chocolate fix. Airports and bus terminals provide scheduling information on electronic screens in various forms.
Our digital cameras have LCD view finders. Our digital watches have LCD screens. Sporting grounds have large screens for the "instant replay". In fact, I once found myself at a rugby union ground watching the game televised on the big screen at the ground almost as much as I watched it happening right in front of me!
There are kids toys with screens! In fact, there's a growing market for "new media" toys for little 'uns (this NY Times gives you a run down of that).
I'm pretty sure that, in the end, the revolution will be televised. We'll all watch it, too. It'd be damn near impossible to escape it.
Do I have a point? Not really, apart from take a look around you tomorrow. Take a good look. See how many screens there are? Smile. You're probably on most of them...
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4 comments:
Orwell's 1984 anyone?
If only...
At least with 1984 the screens were by and large for monitoring dissidents and disseminating propaganda. Of course, given that 1984 is one of your favourite books, you're probably more aware of the subtext than I am.
Most of the screens I see in my daily travels appear to have the sole purpose of distributing junk information and trivia I don't want or need.
Electronically distributed brain rot, travelling over radio frequencies and light waves direct to your cereberal cortex, with no apparent malicious purpose other than rampant consumerism and an irrational need to know everything that's going on, whether or not it serves any positive purpose to do so.
Oh yes, it's a great time to be alive...
Yeah, I've had this discussion with my friends a few times. It seems that no matter where we go, there is a t.v. there, being loud and obnoxious. I find it particularly offensive in restaraunts, especially the nice sitdown ones. McDonalds, in the playplace area, is more quiet.
Everyone likes to stay comfortably numb. Thinking can lead to other dangerous activities. Having an opinion, for one.
Nice blog.
Sounds to me like you need one of these
bad boys.
I've often thought about it myself but never got around to it. For US$35 (inc. postage) it may well be worth it.
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