There continues to be a slew of those who\u00a0cling to the past\u00a0not just in the media and marketing world, but sadly also in academia. And yet, with the spread of any new technology: from the introduction of the telephone to the advent of the car, there have been those who freak out because they misunderstand it.<\/p>\n
Typically, they pick out singular negative examples vs. the incredibly greater number of benefits and positive stories. Or they share an elitist, out of touch viewpoint for how \u201cthe world should be.\u201d According to who? Stuffy old academics in their ivory towers. Do they seriously not realize a constant in our society is change, and that tomorrow never looks like today?<\/p>\n
A\u00a0recent piece\u00a0in the Guardian ties together several technophobic professors seemingly upset the world is changing. It\u2019s worth reacting to because the themes presented are just so quaint you have to laugh at them. They are modern day versions of those who were afraid of science during the age of witchcraft. And the crazy part is, they are in education! Although I guess back in the days where the world thought some people were witches, those in academia were teaching it too.<\/p>\n
This time, we have MIT professor Sherry Turkle who (of course) has a new book she\u2019s trying to peddle. Predictably, it is yet another anti-technology tirade without much data to back up her points, just conjecture:<\/p>\n
Turkle\u2019s thesis is simple: technology is threatening to dominate our lives and make us less human. Under the illusion of allowing us to communicate better, it is actually isolating us from real human interactions in a cyber-reality that is a poor imitation of the real world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Sherry is of course wrong. Technology allows us to become infinitely more social. Personally, many of my best friends I\u2019ve met due to the web. Professionally, I have had literally every job I\u2019ve held due to connections forged over the web.<\/p>\n
Because of the web, not only was I able to\u00a0self-publish\u00a0an album and go direct to consumer \u2013 but due to social networking I connected with\u00a0Erik Soderquist, a designer and musician thousands of miles away who created my album art. And another local musician,\u00a0DJ Stryke, who I also connected with due to the web, mastered it.<\/p>\n
The web enables creatives to connect and has been so overwhelmingly positive of a tool for me personally I can\u2019t help but get a little frustrated when anti-technologists bash it. Especially when nearly every one of my peers has similar stories of connection with other creatives, seeing these stories of \u201cthe sky is falling\u201d from academics or politicians seems completely absurd, like those afraid of cars when whips and buggies reigned supreme.<\/p>\n
More from the article:<\/p>\n
But Turkle\u2019s book is far from the only work of its kind. An intellectual backlash in America is calling for a rejection of some of the values and methods of modern communications. \u201cIt is a huge backlash. The different kinds of communication that people are using have become something that scares people,\u201d said Professor William Kist, an education expert at Kent State University, Ohio.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
A \u201chuge backlash?\u201d Really? According to who? What data points are presented? Exactly. Maybe they should get out there with real people and see how they\u2019re using technology, particularly social communications tools to connect. I\u2019ll argue the other way: those sitting in their ivory towers are viewing the world through a lens that is no longer relevant and I fear their students infected by their backwards viewpoints will be ill prepared for what awaits them.<\/p>\n
Also what\u2019s with the \u201ctechnology scaring people\u201dcomments? Please, that\u2019s a joke. If technology scares you, you likely have a deeper rooted neurosis and should seek psychological help, because we are a culture of technology. If you are afraid of technology, you are afraid of our world.<\/p>\n
Further, there is another ridiculous layer to this whole premise. Consider nothing is more isolating and intellectual devoid as television. And yet these academics are berating technologies which inspire a generation to take an active role in communications?<\/p>\n
As Brian Solis\u00a0sagely notes:<\/p>\n
Evolution is evolution \u2013 and it\u2019s happened before us and will continue after we\u2019re gone. But, what\u2019s taking place now is much more than change for the sake of change. The socialization of content creation, consumption and participation, is hastening the metamorphosis that transforms everyday people into participants of a powerful and valuable media literate society.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Digital fluency is the new literacy, whether you want to bury your head in the sand: this is the world we live in. Embrace it or ignore it at your own peril, but society will look back with disdain on those who pessimistically fight the future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
There continues to be a slew of those who\u00a0cling to the past\u00a0not just in the media and marketing world, but … <\/p>\n