From book to screen

After reading The Gutenberg Elegies, my views and initial thoughts regarding the role that technology plays in our society definitely changed. My initial reaction to the preface and first couple of excerpts was one of disagreement. I felt that Birkert’s criticism was overstated and exaggerated. Yet, as I read more into the book, I was able to better understand Birkert’s perspective and by the books end, I found myself in agreement with many of his views.

In the excerpt, "The Owl Has Flown", Birkerts suggests that the depth of our resonance and wisdom is deteriorating. He expresses a sense of disappointment in our culture because we no longer study with the same intensity and profundity that people in past generations used to study with. People nowadays, quickly skim and read information because they have lost the drive and motivation to study in depth. This is mainly because of the many resources that technology has presented us with, chiefly the Internet. The Internet provides us with quick and easy access to a wide collection of information. People have become accustomed to skimming and reading texts solely for a particular answer. As a result, we are losing depth because we are reading less and relying more on the technology to do the hard work for us.

While looking up an answer on the Internet may seem harmless, in the long run this actually hurt us. In the excerpt, “The Death of Literature,” Birkerts explains why literature has been depreciated as a result of technology. The text reads,“/the author, once the fount of imagination, has been demoted, divested of authority, the historical tradition/ is being disintegrated “ (184). There was once a time when books were a form of art and tradition. Nowadays, “literature and the humane values we associate with it have been depreciated, reincarnated in debased form” (184). I agree that literature has lost some of its lust and true form. It has been changed into a subject that no longer has much meaning and appreciation; in Birkerts mind, “ it has been rendered safely nostalgically irrelevant” (184).

Even with all of the resources and technologies we have today, it is important that we do not grow dependent on them. We still need to be able to read and take information from print, despite the fact that technology can easily find answers for us. The act of physically “doing” is more valuable than just having answers spoon-fed to us. Society has also undergone a shift from the world of print to one immersed with technology. This transition, however, has not come without concerns. Though it may not seem like it, we are living in a state of intellectual emergency. If we continue to allow technology to dictate our lives, we may well see and witness “the death of literature.” Fortunately, we can still change and prevent our full transition from book to screen. The Gutenberg Elegies has made me think twice about the ways I use and employ technology in my daily life; it was a wake up call.