I thought the article "The Numbing of the American Mind" was great. While reading the article I couldn't help but think of my high school physics teacher Mr. Walker. During a labs in his class most of the students goofed off and seemed to not really be able to focus on the lab. He went on a rant about how kids today have such short attention spans because of the way the world is now. He said that look at tv shows for young children where its all action all time and flashes of light like in those japanese cartoons. More and more children are brought up being placed in the front of the tv or computer and spending less time reading and playing outside. The numbing of the american mind places an emphasize on how Americans constantly are busy and have to be doing something all the time and forget about the simple things in life. With childhoods going the way my old teacher described it, of course Americans are living this busy lifestyle, thats all they've ever known.
Another great part of the article was on how easy Americans seem to move on, especially after the great tragedy of 9/11. Personally, I didn't know anyone who died in the tragedy. To be honest I didn't even know what the world trade center was or that there was even terrorists out there to get us. So for me moving on was pretty easy, especially after hearing the same story day after day. Of course, seeing pictures of the towers and people affected by it did touch me, I felt bad. And I do remember where I was the day it happened and i watched the news live as the 2nd tower fell. But, after hearing what seemed like the same story it didn't affect me as much. Most of America also feels this way after hearing the same thing day after day, not only with 9/11, but with other disasters and deaths around the world. With the internet giving us new news 24/7, 365 days a year and news broadcasts being as fast as they are now, we hear a lot of stories. Most are about bad things so Americans are pretty much conditioned to just move on, because, like what was said in the article, what else can you do? You have to move on, as bad as the situation is, its just what you do. As bad as this seems, maybe its also a good thing. With so much bad in the world, maybe its better not to feel it and just move on. This busyness that Americans are living isn't a good thing, but its almost what we have to do today, considering all the bad things in the world and the current war going on. It is keeping us numb, but it helps us move on from things that are almost unbearable for some people.
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4 comments:
You bring up a very good point about moving on. The author seemed to hold the whole idea of moving on with contempt. But is it really a bad thing? The news and media these days are filled with so many negative things and useless junk...that we need to move on to get away from it all. I haven't watched the news in near half a year, but all I can remember from then (apart from sports and weather) were negative stories about violence and how poorly the war on terrorism is going. Excellent point, totally agree with you on moving on.
I know exactly what you are talking about Kayla, because at my high school, my calc teacher said the same exact thing about kids today. We don't have an understanding on what is really going on in our society. All we hear are reports on the news or fabricated stories in certain magazines, that really dont give you the whole story. I also completely agree with you about Americans and moving on. I also was not personally affected by the events on 9/11, but seeing pictures and watching the news did make me sad. But after a couple months maybe even a year, I was over it. I'm not saying that's a good thing, but I moved on. What else can you do? Being stuck in the moment and dwelling on events that are in the past. Everyone needs to move on.
There's a couple of interesting points you've made here. The first, about the short attention spans of "kids today" is partly a response to the fact that we process information more quickly today, and this unsettles people who are habituated to slower forms of information delivery (my Dad can't watch the Simpsons, for example, because the jokes go by too fast). Personally, I'm not that worried about this. The other point, though, about "moving on," is a little more distressing. If "moving on" is necessary because the world is just too full of bad stuff and terrible events, than we sound a bit like an ostrich with its head in the sand, or passengers on the Titanic clapping along to the music while the ship goes down. I'm not saying we have to save the world, but we're not powerless, either. We can't dwell on all the evils of the world, but if we ignore them, well that's almost worst. "All that evil requires is that good people do nothing." Anyway, I'm just as guilty as the next person of switching the channel, or popping on the headphones. It just scares me that it's so easy to tune out the world. Thanks for the insightful remarks.
Hey, I just read your post about wanting to move to somewhere less hectic and more 'country' like. I grew up in a suburb of Chicago (just like 30 minutes north) called Wilmette. It is an extremely structured lifestyle that teachers, parents and community members press upon the youth there. I really want to move to (this is really random) but Virginia. I dunno why I choose this state but I really desire a large area of land to let my dogs run and a beautiful landscape to peer out at during the day while drinking coffes at the kitchen table. I also really appreciate everything the suburbs and city have to offer but after coming to Madison and going to a large, city school I have come to realize that I need a more cohesive, community feeling environment. I actually am planning on transfering to a smaller school, in a more college town, to start off on the path to less the stress and pace of my current lifestyle. I was just wondering where you wanted to live when you were older and like what you find is nice about small towns and slower paced lives?!
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