The dangers of new technology... such as books

Conservatives object to everything, including reading and writing

By Nury Vittachi

*

Sometimes I hit a raw nerve. Several readers complained about my criticism of Grand Theft Auto IV. This is a youth-oriented computer game in which players get points by committing extremely anti-social acts such as armed robbery, substance abuse and making poor clothing choices.

Hey—what I really meant was that I don’t need this game because I get quite enough of this sort of thing at home already.

                Most of the letters of protest can be summarized as follows: “Dear Idiotbrain, there is no scientific evidence that violent video games make people violent, and if you continue to make such ridiculous allegations I will have no option but to shoot you, chop the corpse into tiny pieces and blow up your building. Love from Jin-Jin, aged 10.”

                Well, to all the Jin-Jins out there, I have absolutely no objection to boys turning themselves into mindless killing machines, providing you all take your guns and go and live on some isolated continent miles away from me. (Oh, you have done? You’re in America?) 

The most interesting response came from a philosophical reader who said people have been scared of new technology since the time of the ancient Greeks.

Actually, he makes a fair point, and his timing is good. Today, June 2, is the anniversary of the day Guglielmo Marconi (known to his friends as “the nerd with the unpronounceable first name”) filed his patent on radio transmissions in 1896. Marconi’s invention triggered howls of protest from people who said radio was dangerous new technology which would stop people reading and writing.

                Similiarly, in the 1950s, there was a campaign against typewriters because they would “depersonalize communications between businessmen”. This is an obvious fallacy: whoever heard of a businessman with a personality?

In the Victorian era, there was a campaign against erasers because they would stop students thinking deeply before they wrote. Now, come on: has anyone ever seen a student thinking deeply?

                Two millenniums ago, Socrates campaigned against reading and writing. In those days, wisdom was delivered exclusively through something called “oral tradition”, which basically meant Men With Beards Talking.

Socrates warned: (a) If people started reading and writing, their memories would wither from underuse; (b) they would read out the words of Men With Beards and look cleverer than they really were, and (c) the world would become democratic, upsetting the elite.

Socrates was right, but he could not foresee that East Asian leaders would have the ability to keep their faces straight while telling people who have waited 2,400 years for democracy that they are “too impatient”.

               But anyway, Socrates’ criticisms were ignored, and so were the criticisms of people who wanted to ban radio, erasers and typewriters. Has society been dumbed down?

                Actually, I think it has. Consider this. When Marconi died in 1937, the world wanted to do something to commemorate his work. You know what humanity decided to do? They took every audio broadcaster off the air for two minutes. To celebrate the invention of radio. Ouch.

When I think of that, I can’t help but hope that humanity dies off soon, so that the world can be re-colonized by a more intelligent species, such as mushrooms. But if Jin-Jin is still around, he will probably shoot them.

Comments

[Vince A]

But celebrating the invention of commercial radio by going silent makes perfect sense. For a moment or two, mankind is deprived of the invention, and we get a taste of what life is like without it.

We should celebrate man's other great inventions in the same way: anesthesia, traffic lights, heart defibrilators, air-traffic control, queues.

[a philosophical reader]

'a philosophical reader' here. Thanks for the mention, the nickname and for the research on Socrates. I was quite chuffed to read your piece in The Standard today. I'll give my next comment some thought...

[Mini]

Vince A, you have the gift of what my dad calls "Dry Wit". Your comment sounds completely serious. And then you think about it. Yes let's abandon air-traffic control for an hour or two to really apprecaite it when we get it back!!!

[Shanoners]

Right. And I think we need a whole day to celebrate each of the invention mentioned above by Vince A to really savour the moment.

Anyhow, I like the term "Dry Wit." =)

[t4 hormone]

Show romanization
selfishness in many cases is the factor preventing the technology known or advance ....

[Karuna]

any one heard from "Vince" ?
Not seen his witty comments for a long time

[Angela]

Been wondering about vince too. Initially suspected he might have resurfaced under a different name but it doesnt make sense.

[Vince A]

He's alive. Just very busy at work. But thanks for the kind thoughts. I enjoy all your comments, makes me choke each lunchtime.

[sej]

Or Uli for that matter.

[Angela]

Ok since Nury is on travel. Lets do roll call of gang.

Sej, you are the class monitor. Make sure everyone checks in or I will ask the bullies to give you atomic wedge.

;-)

[sej]

Lisa and Rika are two others who seem to be MIA??

Angela,

Pardon my ignorance... "Atomic Wedge"??

[Karuna]

"atomic wedge" is it similar to "gear stick" ?

[Ram]

I think Angela is mentioning about "atomic wedgie"... http://mrjam.typepad.com/diary/2009/03/bra-saves-womans-life.html

[Dancer]

Did I get it wrong or did everybody just suddenly switch and make comments on posts from 2008? What happened?

More on other dangers:
'In the Victorian era, there was a campaign against erasers because they would stop students thinking deeply before they wrote. '

In local Hong Kong high school in 2003, correction pens are banned because they would stop students thinking deeply before they wrote.

They are still banned.

[sej]

Ram,

That was my suspicion...

Just I'm not sure where "atomic" comes into it, but then, I'm not sure I want to know either... :-)

[Ram]

Sej,

well...wikipedia says "The atomic wedgie entails hoisting the waistband of the receiver's underwear up and over their head".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedgie

[Angela]

Dancer, these columns are timeless, like polkadot dresses.

Guys, I think atomic refers to the impact, not the method.

;-)

[fardel]

Nury is on travel!
In Singapore?
And our international truck driver has to make comments?!
I thought...............!

[Angela]

The truck driver is thinking it is easier to be in a relationship if you are a dog.

[basket jordan]

Jungs, ich denke, atomare bezieht sich auf die Auswirkungen, nicht die Methode.

[gorras new era baratas]

Das war mein Verdacht ...