Introduction
In today's world, our smartphones have become an extension of ourselves. We carry them everywhere, constantly connected to the internet and social media. This pervasive digital presence has fundamentally altered how we experience life, shaping our individuality, perceptions, and habits. Sven Birkerts' book "Changing the Subject" delves into these profound changes, encouraging readers to reflect on the impact of the digital world on our lives.
This thought-provoking work explores how our constant connection to technology affects our intellect, our relationship with reality, and even our neuronal functioning. Birkerts challenges us to consider the consequences of our digital dependence and offers insights into how we might reclaim some of what we've lost in the process.
The Double-Edged Sword of Accessible Information
One of the most significant changes brought about by the digital age is the unprecedented access to information. With just a few taps on our smartphones, we can find answers to almost any question. While this convenience seems like a boon, Birkerts argues that it comes at a cost.
The Loss of Gratification in Knowledge Acquisition
The ease with which we can now access information has made the process of acquiring knowledge through first-hand experience seem less relevant and meaningful. This shift has led to a decrease in the gratification we feel when we learn something new.
Birkerts illustrates this point with the example of GPS navigation. While undoubtedly useful, GPS has replaced the need for us to study maps, interpret our surroundings, and use our intuition to navigate. In the past, people would immerse themselves in the details of a map, picturing the landscape in their minds. Upon reaching their destination, they would experience a substantial reward that simply following GPS directions doesn't provide.
This sense of gratification extends to other areas of life as well. The author recalls his experiences discovering new music before the digital age. He would study album liner notes, seek out radio stations, and ask for recommendations from trusted sources. This process took time and effort, but when he finally discovered a new artist or album he loved, the reward felt truly earned and personal.
The Diminishing Connection to Our Discoveries
In contrast, today's music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora expose us to a vast array of music with just a click. While this makes discovery easier, it also makes it less personal and less gratifying. The extra work and effort required in the past created a deeper connection to the musical scenes and artists we discovered.
This principle applies to many areas of life. When we work for the knowledge we gain, we feel a sense of accomplishment and connection that instant access doesn't provide. The digital age, with its emphasis on convenience and immediacy, has inadvertently robbed us of these more profound experiences.
The Impact on Self-Sufficiency and Emotional Growth
Beyond affecting our experiences with the external world, our digital dependence has significant implications for our inner lives as well. Birkerts argues that the constant connection to the outside world hinders our ability to be self-sufficient and to confront our own emotions.
The Erosion of Internality
The author introduces the concept of internality - a space for self-reflection and self-realization. With social media providing a constant connection to the outer world, it's becoming increasingly difficult for us to foster this crucial internal space.
The multitude of instant messaging apps and social media platforms have collapsed the distance between us and the rest of the world. While many view this as a positive development, Birkerts points out that by making ourselves available 24/7 and expecting the same from others, we leave ourselves no time to focus on our own thoughts and feelings.
The Dependence on External Validation
This constant connectivity has led to a culture where we're always waiting for responses and seeking approval from others. Instead of looking inward and forming our own opinions, we've become reliant on external validation. This dependence separates us from our individuality and the realities of our situation.
Many people have become so accustomed to living in the digital world that they struggle to imagine life without immediate access to the internet. This constant immersion in the digital realm makes it challenging to stay present in the physical world and live in the moment.
Escaping Real Emotions
Perhaps most concerning is how we use our digital devices to escape uncomfortable emotions. When faced with boredom, loneliness, or helplessness, many people immediately turn to their smartphones as a distraction. Instead of confronting these feelings and understanding their origins, we use technology as an easy escape.
This habit of escaping to the digital world creates its own set of problems. Over time, people may start to feel a sense of incompleteness and anxiety, as they're not addressing the underlying issues that cause these uncomfortable emotions.
The Transformation of Information Processing
Another significant impact of our digital fixation is how it's changing the way we process information. Birkerts notes that it's become increasingly common for people to complain about not having time to sit down and read a book. He suggests that the rise of the internet and portable devices is largely responsible for consuming our time and attention.
The Shift from Deep Reading to Skimming
Reading a book requires focused attention. In contrast, the internet works by constantly shifting our attention from one link to another, giving us little time to think deeply or reflect on a topic. As we've grown accustomed to this rapid shifting of attention, our behavior has changed. We no longer read with the intent to understand deeply, but instead rush to get to the next topic by skimming and quickly scrolling through pages.
This shift has left us with less time for ourselves and less ability to concentrate. Even in the brief moments between activities, many people feel compelled to check their email or quickly scroll through news headlines, always trying to ingest as much information as possible in the shortest amount of time.
The Satisfaction with Surface-Level Knowledge
As a result of this behavior change, we've become satisfied with just reading headlines and highlights. We rarely dive into full articles or books that offer the depth of information necessary to think critically, reflect, and form our own well-informed opinions.
Potential Neurological Changes
Birkerts suggests that these digital interruptions and distractions may even be changing our neuronal functions. He cites a 2006 study of cab drivers that found their brains had developed a larger-than-average hippocampus due to the need to memorize streets and routes before the advent of GPS. This study demonstrates that our behavior can indeed change our brains - for better or worse.
The author warns that just as our brains grow when we use them, they can stagnate when we don't. By constantly distracting ourselves from having deep thoughts, we may be neglecting important parts of our brains, potentially leading to cognitive decline.
The Loss of Context and Meaning in Online Learning
The digital age has also transformed how we learn. Whether it's acquiring a new skill or learning about a new subject, many of us turn to online resources like Wikipedia, YouTube, or Google search results. While these resources can be useful, Birkerts argues that they often strip information of its crucial context.
The Limitations of Online Knowledge Platforms
Using the example of learning about the French Revolution, Birkerts points out that the information presented on platforms like Wikipedia shouldn't be taken at face value. These sites often lack the critical and independent viewpoint that comes from an author who has thoroughly researched a subject from multiple angles and presented the information in a comprehensive, meaningful manner.
To truly understand a complex topic like the French Revolution, one would need to read multiple books offering different viewpoints. Unfortunately, the internet rarely presents information in this nuanced, contextualized way.
The Problem with Universal Libraries
Birkerts discusses Google's universal library project, which aims to scan and compile every book in the world into a massive cross-referenced database. While having all this data at our fingertips might seem exciting, the author argues that by breaking books down into chunks of data that link to one another, we destroy the very idea of a "book" as a cohesive and independent statement from an author.
Moreover, by combining all this information, we remove the very thing that gives it meaning: context. Birkerts reminds us that just because we can do something (like creating a universal digital library) doesn't mean we should do it.
The Power of Reading Novels
In an age where even textbooks are being digitized and students are using tablets from elementary school onwards, Birkerts makes a passionate case for the importance of reading novels, particularly in print form.
Novels as Tools for Reflection and Imagination
Reading books, especially novels, is one of the best ways to improve our thinking and intellect. Novels invite us to reflect on and contemplate life while also sparking our imaginations. When we read something that isn't on a digital screen, it engages our ability to focus and transport ourselves into another world.
This immersive experience allows us to see ourselves and our own world with greater clarity, helping us to better understand who we are as individuals and where our emotions come from. Few things are as powerful as a good novel in engaging the imagination and promoting self-reflection.
The Challenge and Reward of Deep Reading
Birkerts acknowledges that reading a novel takes hard work. It requires our full attention and engagement. We need to take the author's words, process them, and recognize the intent behind them for our imagination to fully engage. This rigorous reading is challenging in itself, but it becomes even more difficult when reading from a digital device.
The digital world, with its constant distractions, creates a barrier that makes it hard for our imaginations to connect with our intellect and fully immerse ourselves in the author's world. By putting down our devices and picking up a physical book, we can nourish our minds in a way that digital reading often fails to do.
The Importance of Disconnecting
Throughout "Changing the Subject," Birkerts emphasizes the need to disconnect from our digital devices and reconnect with ourselves and the physical world around us. He argues that our constant urge to be digitally connected is diminishing our experiences and deteriorating our ability to focus.
Reclaiming Our Attention
By constantly checking our emails from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep, we're allowing our digital devices to dictate the rhythm of our lives. This constant connectivity leaves little room for the kind of deep thinking and self-reflection that's crucial for personal growth and well-being.
Birkerts suggests that if we want to retain our ability to make informed decisions and deal with our emotions in a healthy way, we need to make a conscious effort to disconnect. This might mean setting aside specific times of the day to check emails and social media, rather than being constantly available.
Embracing Boredom and Solitude
One of the most valuable things we can do, according to Birkerts, is to embrace periods of boredom and solitude. Instead of immediately reaching for our smartphones when we feel a moment of emptiness or discomfort, we should allow ourselves to sit with these feelings. It's in these moments of apparent "nothingness" that our minds often do their most creative and introspective work.
Rediscovering the Physical World
Birkerts also encourages readers to rediscover the joys of the physical world. This might mean taking a walk without GPS and allowing ourselves to get a little lost, or visiting a library and browsing the shelves rather than searching an online catalog. These experiences engage our senses and our minds in ways that digital alternatives can't replicate.
Final Thoughts: Striking a Balance
While Birkerts is critical of many aspects of our digital dependence, he's not advocating for a complete rejection of technology. Instead, he's calling for a more mindful and balanced approach to our use of digital tools.
The author recognizes the many benefits that the digital age has brought us - instant communication, access to vast amounts of information, and new forms of creativity and expression. However, he argues that we need to be more conscious of how we're using these tools and what we might be losing in the process.
By being more intentional about our digital habits, we can harness the benefits of technology while still preserving the deep thinking, self-reflection, and rich experiences that make life meaningful. This might mean setting aside time each day for reading a physical book, having face-to-face conversations without the interruption of phones, or simply sitting quietly with our own thoughts.
In conclusion, "Changing the Subject" serves as a wake-up call for those of us who have become overly dependent on our digital devices. It challenges us to reconsider our relationship with technology and to reclaim some of the mental and emotional territory we've ceded to the digital world. By doing so, we can hope to retain our ability to think deeply, feel deeply, and live fully in both the digital and physical worlds.