\u201cMan the food-gatherer reappears incongruously as\ninformation-gatherer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern methods of communication, whether intentionally or\nnot, seem to be quickly zeroing in on optimal ways to reward users. Corporate techniques\nlike instant gratification and reward loops are not secrets, nor are they\nproblematic in the eyes of users who wish for such norms to stay. Paralleling\nthis, in its quest to understand the universe, science has been constantly\nexpanding humanity\u2019s capability of gathering, storing, and sharing information,\nwith no signs of stopping. This scientific hunger for answers gives rise to technological\nadvancements in information technology, which result in easier, novel means of\ncommunication and media consumption. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I find it hard to imagine that such a cyclical relationship\nbetween information, technology, and communication could ever wind down until\nit\u2019s been satisfied. In his book The Information<\/em>, James Gleick mentions\nthat \u201cwe have information fatigue, anxiety, and glut\u201d and that \u201cevery new\nmedium transforms the nature of human thought\u201d (11, 12). Taking into account\nthe world\u2019s rapid progress since the invention of transistors, and the\nnegligible amount of time we\u2019ve spent in the \u201cInformation Era\u201d compared to the\nrest of human history, it\u2019s slightly worrying to think about the unforeseen\nconsequences of our new toys. Collectively and individually, how we manage our\ndigital \u201chygiene\u201d and presence could affect many aspects of our lives going\nforward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On a more positive note, there are more options available\nwith digital communication than ever before. It\u2019s possible to practice some\nself-restraint, go fully digital, or live like it\u2019s the 1960s. On the one hand,\nthe constant exposure and easy access does draw people away from personal, tactile\nmoments; or even from cultural inventiveness like the shift from the African\ntalking drum to cellphones. On the other hand, a family like mine, spread across\nmultiple continents, can set up a video chat in seconds. To me, it\u2019s a matter\nof finding the right balance and using a communication medium when I truly need\nit. I don\u2019t see the switch to digital communication as a deathblow to the concept\nof the talking drum, but as yet another addition to a long list of platforms,\neach with their own pros and cons, and each existing only as needed based on\nour demands as users (which, to be expected, are constantly evolving).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cMan the food-gatherer reappears incongruously as information-gatherer.\u201d Modern methods of communication, whether intentionally or not, seem to be quickly zeroing in on optimal ways to reward users. Corporate techniques like instant gratification and reward loops are not secrets, nor are they problematic in the eyes of users who wish for such norms to stay. Paralleling …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-91","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92,"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91\/revisions\/92"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/commtech.nyuad.im\/homework\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}