To the Editor:
Re “The
Medium Is the Medium” (column, July 9):
David Brooks is correct in his assessment of the current limitations of
the use of technology to cultivate a deeper and more reflective wisdom
and intellect.
As a college instructor of philosophy—a subject rooted in intellectual
reflection—I find that my students have great difficulty in stepping
back from the moment and concentrating on anything else but their next
text message or other technologically induced instant connection.
(Surely, many adults are suffering from similar afflictions.)
No, I am not a Luddite mourning the disappearance of the quill pen, but I
believe that something has been lost in this current environment: the
art of communication. Writing in other than e-mail or text message
shorthand is an unwelcome burden for many students, and researching
topics beyond Wikipedia snippets is a rare chore in which few indulge.
I hope that as our use of the latest technologies matures, we will all
learn to use them more intelligently and effectively. Technology is a
mighty tool with great possibilities, but, at present, it is often
poorly used and serves more to stifle intellectual curiosity than to
promote it.
Glenn Sklarin
New York, July 9, 2010
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 