“The medium is the message.”
This is what Marshall McLuhan told us many years ago — that modern technology itself was becoming more important than what was communicated — and today it is infinitely more true.
The Recorder recently reported that the typical American adult spends an average of over 10 hours each day with smartphone, tablets, TV, computers and video. This doesn’t count texting, talking on cell phones and taking “selfies.” (I shudder to think how many hours for teenagers.)
Society is insanely immersed in these activities during all aspects of its daily life with Facebook, now the barometer of friendship. And although this is not true for some of us, myself included, who resist the temptations of consumerism run amok, dislike this robotic, impersonal involvement and enjoy other healthier pursuits, it’s damn difficult to wade through these troubled waters.
I have a cartoon taped to my antiquated landline phone to remind me of all this. It shows Rip Van Winkle waking from his long sleep to hear his cell phone announce, “You have 5,003,232 missed calls.”
David Fersh
Charlemont