.to unplug or not to unplug.

A few posts ago, I discussed the digitalization of texts and my opinion of them in relation to the printed word.  While browsing the pages of NPR, I came across a very interesting article about William Powers' book, Hamlet's Blackberry: To Surf of Not to Surf: A Practical Philosophy for Building a Good Life in the Digital Age.  The idea to write about this particular subject came to him as he was standing on a street corner in Manhattan.  Looking around he found more than five people staring down into some kind of electronic device, trying desperately to stay connected to the world, while ironically becoming quite disconnected from the city around them.  This is a familiar scene for many of us, especially to those of us who are in the presence of teenagers. 


Like many teenagers who have adopted an obsession for texting, others of us have acquired an obsession for all things cyber.  We are constantly checking our Facebook, Tweeting, texting, blogging, reading blogs, getting updates on news, following hyperlinks, etc.  Our Lit. Theory class actually touched on the problem with hyperlinks and how it is slowly deteriorating our attention span.  Oftentimes our minds wander and are prompted to move from one subject, one page, to the next until we can't even remember where we started.  It's quite overwhelming!!

In his book, Powers writes that we must strive to balance our time "connecting" on the Internet, and even shares a technique his household practices on the weekends of disconnecting from all things cyberspace; they call it their "Internet Sabbath."


What I found to be extremely interesting about this article, was that in his book, he discusses how our obsession with technology is not necessarily a new trend and that many people before us have experienced this same type of obsession after the invention of new technologies.  One example he gives is found in Shakespeare's Hamlet.  When Hamlet is trying desperately to decide what to do about his problematic situation, he takes out his "tables."  Powers says, "It was basically an erasable, plaster-like surface inside of a little booklet...You could write notes during the day and then wipe them away clean at night."  Powers describes the "tables" device as a kind of "proto-electronic planner."  


Just as I wrote in my last post, it would be hard for me to become disconnected from the Internet.  Even when our Net was down for a week, I had to find ways to access it either by using WiFi in coffeeshops or from public computers in the library.  Although I have not yet broken over to a Blackberry (my phone can't even take pictures), I do see their many benefits.  I do agree with Powers that we must strive to balance our obsession with technology, especially when teaching the new generations of users - the teenagers and children now who have never lived in a time without Internet or cell phones (it still blows my mind to think sometimes that we were just learning about Google in middle school and now kids grow up using computers and search sites when they're in preschool!!).  Perhaps we could all start practicing an Internet Sabbath each weekend.  One thing I do know, Powers' book will be going on my reading list!