CHANGE

Appiah states that “societies without change aren’t authentic”. Today, some of these changes are attributed to the rapidly growing global network which deposits whirlwinds of information worlds away from its source. The question at hand is “what kind of impact does this ‘foreign’ information have on an individual?” As Appiah mentions, information consumed by individuals is absorbed differently depending on the context in which it is consumed. It would be unfair and condescending to assume that consumption of certain information can completely persuade an individual to think one way or another. To add to Appiah’s list of examples, a group of Native Americans were interviewed about their perceptions of old Western films in which the natives where often depicted as the villains. Surprisingly, they seemed to enjoy the films and when asked who they related to most in the film they uniformly chose the heroic Cowboy. This is further proof that the media is no magic bullet. Individuals will consume and digest information in a fashion that adjusts and molds to their particular context. If they can’t make it fit their context, then they will discard it.

This doesn’t mean that consumption of information has no impact on the choices the individuals make. Yes, individuals will likely question the differences between their culture and the one brought to them by way of a distant media. But does this have to be something which is feared? Perhaps exposure to other cultures will allow consumers of information to engage their own culture more fully by allowing them to compare and contrast; ultimately making more informed decisions about the steps they choose to take in order to promote their own culture. Today there is a widespread controversy concerning hijab wearing. Women in Turkey, where the headdress is banned, protest against it by wearing transparent versions into public buildings and educational institutions. On the other hand, there are women in more conservative Muslim states where the wearing of hijab is either legally mandatory or strongly emphasized, who choose to sport the modern hijab. The modern hijab is similar to the traditional head covering except all of the face and part of the hair is exposed. Which culture should we preserve? Full hijab, modern hijab, or no hijab at all? The only right answer is none at all. It is up to the individual to make choices which will impact the future of the culture. Yes, the future, because the culture will change.

Future of music

Solitude

Is news a necessary intrusion of our solitude? Or, perhaps, does news create more solitude by making us think of (?for?) ourselves?

Deresiewicz would hope that we say no to the first question. Reading the news might require us to look inside and formulate ideas and opinions about it, thus becoming a catalyst for solitude. However, if we are merely skimming through to acquire a minimum of 'actionable information' in order to employ it in our 100 daily text messages, then we have made it an intrusion into our solitude.

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On a personal note, I really enjoyed the subject of this article. It is a question which I constantly entertain amongst my peers. I'm guilty of facebooking and texting, not nearly to the extent of Dereseiwicz student, but enough to feel like I am losing some of my valuable solitude to it. Like Dereseiwicz, I value solitude and I find it increasingly difficult to access it. Growing up as a part of a society that increasingly devalues solitude can be difficult if you are naturally a loner. There are so many negative stereotypes and stigmas associated with the loner. They are increasingly portrayed by pop culture as dysfunctional, possibly psychopathic or a potential danger to society. It's no surprise people want to be constantly connected, if not for the fear of solitude, then for the fear of slander. In addition to social stigmas there is the digital ball and chain many of us willfully attach every day, the cell phone. Almost everyone has one and almost everyone uses it daily. How can we find solitude if we are constantly talking, texting,and leaving and hearing voicemails? We simply have to learn to disconnect. I know it's difficult to give these things up and I don't expect people to go full Walden, there simply isn't enough space.

Finally, as in all good rants, I want to think about the other side. This constant connectivity has to have a positive side. Perhaps increasing population and a decrease in habitable spaces has forced us to accept the constant presence of others. Maybe hyperconnectivity in some way primes us for the daunting existence of encountering human life in every visible corner. It still doesn't sound appealing, but it would make some evolutionary sense...

I think I've just succumb to Deresiewicz 'celebrity culture'.

Jorge M. Perez Architecture Center
An empty building, filled with the potential for solitude

Why do we write things down?

The first thing that comes to mind when I consider this question is catharsis. As individuals, writing allows us to purge our souls and minds. Writing gives our minds an outlet that is loyal and mute. Writing allows us to express ourselves wholly without the fear of judgment or scandal. This isn’t something exclusive to the digital age. Before blogs there were diaries. Diarists such as Anais Nin are a great example of this. Without writing, who knows how much more mad she may have been. Of course, there are many other reasons why people write, it isn’t always to cleanse the soul. People write for recognition, people write to inform and activate other people, people write to pose questions to themselves and others. The list is infinite.