New Media Induced Cognitive Blindspots and the Necessity of Serendipitous Embodied Existence...

- - - - - - - - - -

Yes, that is quite the title.  But this is something that I've only just begun to vocalize (if I can use such a term in reference to the disembodied form of communication we call blogging) and proper expression requires experimentation.  Anyway... here are some thoughts (I'd like to apologize ahead of time as I'm truly shooting from the hip on this one):

New Media and Cognitive Blindspots

New media is something of great interest to me.  No, I'm not much of a participant in the phenomena; but, nonetheless, it does interest - and at times, frighten - me.

One of the dangers of social media is that it is a directly controlled experience.  There are in fact only two (correct me if I'm wrong) main factors which guide the experience: the individual and the algorithm.

Communication in it's more disembodied, electronically mediated forms (email, texting, blogging, etc.) is essentially an exchange of information (unlike the more traditional embodied form of sharing time and space, in which exchange of information is only a small part of the interaction).  This information is closely controlled and directed by these two dictating factors.  One the one end, the individual entering into the medium will direct his/her attention to those things in which he/she is most interested.  On the other end we find the arcane realm of algorithms.  You cannot see them but they are the virtual overlords of information dispersal in cyberspace.  It is this silent collusion between these two covert collaborators which concerns me (sorry, I couldn't help myself with the alliteration).

Ok, that's some heavy language there for simply using social media technology.  Or is collusion actually a very apt term?

What interests me most is the hidden way in which these two interact and produce a narrowing of information.  Think about it: what you're interested drives what you look at (i.e. the information you access); the information you access influences what you are interested in; what you're interested in drives... well you get the point.  And throughout this whole process, unseen, are the algorithms in the software that filter and guide your access to the information (do you understand how a simple Google search works?  I don't; but I do know that it is not neutral, it is not unbiased).  This can have the unintentional effect of polarizing and segregating various interests and viewpoints.  As cellular phones move further and further into the realm of adaptive software (which is intended to get to know you and your patterns/desires/interests and thus be able to provide fitting suggestions on any number of topics/activities), we increasingly have a situation where technology (algorithms) provide guidance and direction to "appropriate information".

What's so wrong with that scenario you ask... Well, I would suggest that the greatest potential problem is that it could create giant cognitive blindspots.  Areas of knowledge and thought (viewpoints) that become inaccessible to the individual - precisely because he/she operates predominately as an individual.

The Necessity of Serendipitous Embodied Existence

I've come up with this term to describe what I feel is essentially just the reality of lived life, which is the antidote to cognitive blindspots.  Being a part of a physical community can indeed be a cure for ignorance.  One of the main differences between reality and virtual reality (i.e. the difference between the world and the worldwide web) is the differing laws which govern them.  While paths online are directed by a combination of individual interest and algorithmic interpretation, paths in the real world are guided by an incomprehensible multitude of variables which can neither be predicted nor ever fully explained (even in hindsight).  This "multitude of variables," and the winding paths which they direct one along are here being called serendipity (I'm sure another entirely different multitude - predominantly those of the fundamentalist Christian ilk - are decrying my use of serendipity here; but that's a whole other matter for another time).  One familiar simile for this concept is "life."

What life as an embodied person (not an individual, which I would argue is a markedly different concept than that of a person: individualism versus personhood) grants one is unknown and unexpected experiences.  And it is these unexpected experiences and interactions, which are more than mere information exchanges, that have the ability to broaden our perspective and shine light on our blindspots.

I find this happening daily in my life.  It could take the form of seeing a sight which causes me to pause and consider something that I'd not before considered.  It could take the form of a conversation with a stranger which asks me to re-examine my preconceptions or rethink my views.

Life is not guided by my interests or shaped by software algorithms (if you think that I'm going a little overboard on the whole algorithm thing, look into the role played by them in the use of smartphones, search engines, social media sites, commercial websites such as amazon and the like, etc.).  I may have a particular plan for life, but by it's very nature, by the nature of the "laws" which govern it, life does not often follow this plan of mine.  This, my friends, is the real enlightening power of a serendipitous embodied existence - the breadth of educating exposure.

Any thoughts...?


(postscript: yes, old media can also produce such blindspots; but, I would argue, it is not anywhere near the level possible in the new media landscape)

(post-postscript: no, I don't think we need a technological jihad against all use of new media.  I think what we need is more awareness about the true nature of this cyberspace realm in which we increasingly travel.)

- - - - - - - - - -

Middle Eastern Politics and the Bible

- - - - - - - - - -

Yesterday the Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu addressed the US congress.  His approx. half-hour speech amounted to a slap in the face of the people of Palestine.  And each time Netanyahu verbally slapped the Palestinian people, congress rose up and applauded (Congress to Palestine: Drop Dead).  It was rather sad to watch - and hard to stomach.

What struck me as particularly interesting was one of the ways that Netanyahu sought to justify the Israeli suppression of the Palestinian people and the continued theft of their land: God gave it to Abraham.

I wonder, in what other political situation would such a claim carry any weight?  The Prime Minister of Israel addresses a room predominantly filled with Protestant Christians and says, "Hey, it's there in your Bible... the land belongs to Israel."

In what twisted reality do we associate the modern State of Israel with the ancient people bearing the same name?  By what right can we in the West support the expulsion of one people from their ancient ancestral homeland because another people says that the land is theirs by divine right?

Christians in the West cannot support the oppression and displacement of a people in the name of God.  This is absurd politics and faulty Biblical interpretation.

- - - - - - - - - -

Unimaginable (a re-blog)...

- - - - - - - - - -

kristinfry:

via thedailywhat:

Before And After of the Day: Missourian Aaron Fuhrman — a self-taught landscape photographer — has been traveling around Joplin, photographing heartrending panoramic shots of the devastation left in the aftermath of Sunday’s tornado. Fuhrman lined up one of these panoramic photos with a Google Street View screencap of the same intersection to illustrate the comprehension-challenging extent of damage caused by the twister.

View his photos here.

NY Times aerial comparison photo

- - - - - - - - - -

Are We Outsourcing Our Minds? Continued...

- - - - - - - - - -

Not long after my last post (and subsequently joining Twitter) I came across a very interesting NY Times article (and a thoughtful response to it) on the effects of Twitter and other social media.

Basically, we are outsourcing our brains to the cloud. The upside is that this frees a lot of gray matter for important pursuits like FarmVille and “Real Housewives.” But my inner worrywart wonders whether the new technologies overtaking us may be eroding characteristics that are essentially human: our ability to reflect, our pursuit of meaning, genuine empathy, a sense of community connected by something deeper than snark or political affinity.

Apparently there has been an increasing amount of research done on the effects of social media technology on our abilities as functioning human beings (no, not all of them are negative).

In his article, Bill Keller writes: "Twitter is not just an ambient presence. It demands attention and response. It is the enemy of contemplation."

Yes, we need more contemplation - indeed a very human enterprise.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thoughts on Memory: Are we outsourcing our minds?

- - - - - - - - - -

I don't remember when it was that I came across the concept of externalized memory but I find it a fascinating thought.

Ever since the advent of written texts, so the theory goes, we humans have been moving along a steady process of externalizing our memory: i.e. we use external things to store information rather than remember it ourselves.  Why remember the history of your people and retell it from rote memory when you can inscribe it and read it later on when you wish to 'remember' it.

In the last few hundred years we have increasingly devised memory storing devices to replace the use of our memory: photographic cameras, various audio and video recorders, computers, and finally... the cell phone.

It seems to me that we are, as a society, desirous of the obsolescence of our our minds.  That is to say, we jump at any device that will lighten the intellectual burdens of life to the extent that we run the risk of loosing much of our intellectual capabilities.  To be fair, the sheer amount of things we have to remember in our day-to-day modern lives is astounding.  But when simple mathematics becomes a burden it seems to me that we've gone too far.  Yes, calculators are very handy devices, but our minds have amazing capabilities that we so often neglect (or don't even know we are capable of anymore).  It seems to me that some people have gotten the silly idea that smart phones are better equipped to live our lives for us than we are.  Are those impressive little electronic tools turning us into tools?

Algorithms can never replace humanity's ability to problem-solve.  At what point are we externalizing ourselves?  What do we do when the technology fails to solve problems for us... panic?  I worry that at some point, if we continue along this path, that may very well be the only response left us.

Using our intellectual capabilities ought not be a burden, but rather a pleasure.  For it is one of the greatest gifts our Creator has given us with which to interact with this marvelous world we inhabit.  Let us not neglect so great a gift.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thoughts on Human Relations: stay in touch...

- - - - - - - - - -

I was listening one of my usual podcasts the other day and I heard an interesting (though not uncommon) phrase: "You can keep in touch with us through facebook and twitter."

I thought this an interesting expression, "keep in touch."  Even a similar expression, "stay in contact," strikes me as slightly odd.  How can we be said to "stay in contact" or "keep in touch" when the entire physicality of the interaction has been removed.  There's no "touch" involved with these electronically mediated forms of communication: texting, tweeting, fbooking, emailing, even phoning.

Don't worry, this isn't going to be post where I bash these various forms of communication.  I'll save that critique for another post.

What strikes me the most is this idea of presence... physical presence.  It is an amazing thing to be present with someone.  My dear wife and I often go for walks after dinner.  We walk and hold hands and enjoy the evening.  Yes, we often talk and reflect on our day; but much of the value is found in sharing time and space with each other.

What is it that we find comforting about the presence of a loved one?  What is it about a hug that moves us?  If we are hurting, words can only do so much to help - but a hug, or the mere presence of a loved one... it can do so much more.

We have been created as beings comprising both body and soul.  It seems an amazing thing that these two aspects (parts?) of us are so intrinsically connected.  What is a kiss?  Is it merely the pressing together of two sets of lips?  No, it can be so much more.  How ignorant are we as a culture in trying to separate the physical and the spiritual in the sexual act?  It is an utter denial of our basic humanity.  How silly is it to think that electronically mediated communication can ever compare to being present with another human being?

Texting, emailing, fbooking (yes, I'm using it as a verb), etc... these are often better than no contact at all when our friends or family are a great distance away.  But whenever possible, I want to share time and space with those I care about.  I want to see their face, hear their laugh, shake their hand.  That is how human beings have being designed to relate.  There's something incredible about that.

When the Divine decided to give his ultimate self-revelation to his creation, he didn't do it through spirit alone... he did it through human flesh.  Jesus walked with his disciples; he talked with them; he ate with them.  In God's fullest revelation to humanity, Jesus, we have our greatest example.

Keep in touch.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thoughts on Canadian Politics: Sunshine and Rain

- - - - - - - - - -

I never thought that 167 would be such a hard number.  There certainly has been a lot of rain falling since the Harper regime has been placed in such firm control of our nation - a lot of dark clouds.

But, there are other numbers: numbers of hope, numbers of change.  How about the number 4?  The fall of the Bloc Quebecois can only be a good thing for Canada.  How about the number 1? Elizabeth May and her Green Party finally have the recognition they've been looking for: a seat in the house.  This makes me happy.  Yes, there has indeed been some sun shining through those clouds.

I think the big question mark for Canada surrounds the number 102.  What will the NDP do with their new-found place as the official opposition?  What will the weather look like in the future?  It is indeed an uncertain time in the Canadian political landscape... there is no certain forecast.  We'll have to wait and see.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thoughts on Religion: Easter and Eggs

- - - - - - - - - -

I recently read a blog post in which the author had commented on how she feels that Easter egg hunts take away from "what Easter is about".  This thought really got me musing.

There was a time when I would have, in the name of the purity of the Christian faith, argued for the rejection of all such "non-biblical" culturally linked festive activities.  I would have agreed that such activities do detract from the essence of the Christian holiday and are undesirable encroachments of the secular world: a "watering-down" of what really matters.  That was then and this is now.  My views couldn't have changed more.

It is an undeniable reality that spirituality must be incarnated.  We tend to call this incarnation, religion.  Religion, which at one point in my past I understood to be a negative term, is the expression and living out of spirituality by human beings.  Once one accepts that religion is the natural expression of spirituality, i.e. the rituals and activities of communities who have come together to enact and embody their spiritual beliefs, acceptance of Easter egg hunts are not far off.

What I mean is this: culture is not something that happens outside of religious activities.  It is not merely the inane and vapid music that pounds at us through television, radio, or internet.  Nor is it merely something that happens on particular days of the calendar in which people from Eastern Europe or Asia (or wherever else) dress up in strange old-fashioned clothes and dance and eat different food.  Culture is the mode of human beings who live in any sort of proximity with each other.  Culture is how values, history, and identity are communally expressed and transmitted through successive generations.  Culture is unavoidable.  Sure, one can argue that a particular culture is unwell or has destructive values and expressions; but culture in and of itself is not a bad thing (any more than speech itself is a bad thing).

Religion and cultural expression are inseparable.  This is not a bad thing - it's human thing (and a divinely given ability I would argue).  When this is understood, the question regarding Easter egg hunts changes slightly.  It is still a valid question, but the way in which we understand and approach it as a cultural activity ought then to guide us in addressing it.  Does it, or any other activity, detract from the purpose and message of the religious holiday (and the truth/significance revealed in it)?  Is it a proper cultural expression of the meaning of the holiday?  Does this activity properly reflect - and convey to the next generation - the value, history, and identity which Christians find in Easter?

It seems to me that the person (or community) asking this question must first explore what the significance of Easter is.  I might begin addressing this question by asking those little ones who are so eagerly involved in the hunt why they think we are doing this activity.  How they think this does, or does not, relate to Easter.  At least the discussion itself will likely be fruitful in achieving the desired transmission of values and identity.

My perspective on such "human traditions" is that they usually began with proper intention and were at one point effective as a cultural/religious expression.  The question, then, is whether or not they remain so.  We humans will always use such signs to express and transmit ideas and values - especially to children.  I think that as a pedagogical exercise, which is essentially what most such cultural/religious activities are when children are involved, they are great.  A child may not understand the theological significance and importance of religious holidays the way an adult is able to, but that does not mean that it can not be conveyed in other (more fun and boisterous) ways.

Insofar as these human traditions are able to express the divinely guided Tradition of the Church and her teachings, they are indeed good and true.

I say go hunt those tasty chocolate eggs with the kids and discuss with them why we do these silly fun things at Easter.

- - - - - - - - - -