Reading and Thinking in the Digital Age

Scott — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:04:07 +0000

This is something I worry about: As most of us spend less time in front of books (and each other) and more time in front of computers, are we gradually training ourselves to read computer-speak more easily than printed language? Many of us are now more comfortable engaging with web page, PDFs, menus, links and lists than we are with those pre-compiled and edited, clunky physical contraptions we call books. I notice myself reading offline less and less, and I worry about what that says for my mind and the nature of my thinking.

I suppose that’s why I was interested in Nicholas Carr’s recent article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” in The Atlantic. He makes a similar confession, although, despite much rambling and speculation, doesn’t arrive at any helpful conclusions to help us explain this shift.

Motoko Rich has a related article in today’s Times, “Literacy Debate: Online, R U Really Reading?,” which scarily illustrates how today’s teenagers with Internet access may never read an actual book. Until this morning, I had only worried about my generation--I remember being so engrossed in reading as a child that my parents would have to put a hand between my eyes and the page in order to get my attention--but now we see the first generation that will live their entire lives with high-speed net access. I was born “unplugged,” and opted in at my own volition. But these kids were born plugged in, and they may never know life any other way.

So in 20, 30 years, when these kids are our leaders, debaters, thinkers, policy makers and caretakers, what and how will they be thinking?

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Reading and Thinking in the Digital Age