In recent years, there has been an enormous “boom” of technology, evidently finding its way into our educational system. Some may think this is a serious problem, allowing students to slack and become more distracted when they don’t have to physically open a book and search for answers when they have a database of “everything ever” at their fingertips. Some may think that this is a great movement, allowing students to have interactive materials and coursework mobile, in the palm of their hand. In “The Gutenberg Elegies,” by Sven Birkerts, he emphasizes the argument that these technological advances meant to benefit society, are actually doing a great deal of damage; In particular, our youth. His argument continues to dig into technology and points out that electronics such as phones, television, and the internet are distracting our youth from “real” literature, which is overall leading to the downfall of our educational systems. Birkerts seems to have a great deal of knowledge on this subject, but is his argument as strong as he makes it seem?
In a way, I see how Birkerts is thinking. Technology has made some of us in society lazy. I like to joke with my dad by saying the classic “Just Google it” whenever he asks me a question. Though it may be a joke, there is a deal of seriousness behind it. Rather than figuring out problems, or information we simply can effortlessly find the answer in a matter of seconds. Personally, I have seen some of the downsides (or upsides depending on how you look at it) with technology in schools. Being able to simply watch a video on a subject rather than reading an article and interpreting it ourselves I think has made the youth as a whole less creative. By watching instead of taking the information in and processing it, they are becoming unable to understand that there is not a solid cookie cutter way for the things are supposed to be. Additionally, it’s very easy to cheat on homework, especially in subjects like math or science where there is a definite, single answer. In classes like English and some Social Sciences, it’s very easy to “spark note” your way through high school. People that have done this are going to struggle when they cannot continue to cheat in their college setting. Overall the technology has taken the purpose of books, which has been a solid distributor of knowledge for all of time, and Birkerts is not a fan.
Although I can see how Birkerts is thinking, I think he is missing the overall point. This kind of learning is what I, and others alike (that being students), have grown up with. This is what we’re used to. Birkerts reiterates that technology has taken away from our collective knowledge, but personally, I think that I have learned the same, if not more knowledge from watching TV, YouTube videos, and scrolling through my Instagram Explore page than I have learned in school. School may have allowed me to read, and write and help me understand the enormous amounts of technological literature I have been exposed to in my short 18 years, but there are just some things that school can’t teach you, and that is why I love technology and the Internet.
Additionally, for people like me (I have diagnosed ADD), in elementary school and most of middle school, I would lose paper materials every single day. I’d lose my homework, I’d forget to write down important dates in my agenda, it was a mess. I’m sure there are many others out there that can relate to this. When computers in school became the norm, I was finally able to organize all my work in little folders on my MacBook. I didn’t have to worry about forgetting to study, because I can set a reminder on my phone. Without these advancements, (and without being too dramatic) who knows where I would be as a student today?
I think [the previous two paragraphs] can also relate to Graff’s argument of hidden intellectualism in a way. Being able to venture outside of the classroom and think freely with the infinite amount of information that we all have access too can be so beneficial to our society. It can allow us to find interest in things we never would have known about otherwise. It allows us to travel across the world and learn about new culture without standing up. It allows us to create things, videos, pictures, blogs in an instant, and organize the things most important to us forever in “the cloud.”
A question I have for Birkerts would be: Would you feel the same if you were in my shoes, or our shoes? If all you have ever known is the glow of a screen? If you could think of “anything ever” and instantly find the answer? The fact of the matter is, books are becoming obsolete, the same way the printing press did, the same way typewriters did, the same way VHS tapes and Cassettes have. And in your defense, they really are only physically going away. These books you preach so heavily, will be around for all of eternity.
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