Just give it time

I do think that the convergence of all previous media (print, television, radio, etc) is natural progression considering the value our society places on speed, control, convenience and progression itself. Clearly, making a “one-stop-shop” technology, like the internet, means that people can spend less time and less money to gather all the information and entertainment that they need. To me, this seems like a logical step. However, I do feel a little upset over the fact that the publishing industry (including newspapers, magazine and books) is having a harder time staying alive in this increasingly digital age. I love holding a book, turning the pages and cracking the spine to the point where just one glance tells you that it’s a well loved book. I hate reading off the computer; I find it harder to grasp the information I’m reading, I read slower, my eyes start to hurt after a while and I hate having to scroll instead of turning a page. Also, I feel like I’m more impatient when I’m reading on the computer. Maybe my brain has changed to the point where if I’m on the computer, it triggers the need to jump from blub to blub, so that I can’t concentrate as well looking at a screen, which would be why I feel like I read slower. My mind still wanders when I’m reading a book (if I’m uninterested in it), but I still feel that it’s a quicker read.

            Now, I’m not entirely sure that this is detrimental. Maybe my brain hasn’t fully adapted to reading longer articles online (which I print out if they’re that long), which is why it seems like moving printed text online is detrimental to my ability to my comprehension level. I am hesitant to say this mass convergence is bad. It’s just different, and change is hard for humans to cope with as we are very much animals of routine. I feel that once this new technology has been around for a while and humans have had the chance to adapt (maybe by the time of our children or grandchildren) we will be better able to deal with the instant gratification of the internet and can then move on to better follow in-depth concepts on the internet.  Therefore, we are not less intelligent—we still have the ability to grasp deep concepts—it’s just that the medium has thrown us for a loop and our brains need a chance to sort it all out.