Bob Mondello, in his article Our Media, Ourselves: Are We Headed For a Matrix? states, “It’s as if we’re deciding en masse that when it comes to the arts and entertainment, we can do without the actual object that is the object of our affection," (Mondello, 1). After looking at two entertainment mediums, the e-reader and the cell phone, it does become evident that we are [collectively] replacing the “real” with the “close enough.” The potential problem with this mental method of substitution was foreseen as early as 100 years ago by writer E.M. Forster. In his short story The Machine Stops, Forster’s character Vashti thinks to herself, “The civilization [prior to her own] that had mistaken the functions of the system, and had used it for bringing people to things, instead of for bringing things to people,” (Forster, 4). In Vashti’s society, a car could be summoned to transport a person even a short distance. There was no need for fresh air, as the air in the rooms was automatically replenished on a regular basis. As she stated, things came to people. The irony, then, is that our American civilization has begun to walk down the same path.
The replacement of objects of affection with a substitute medium has become increasingly common in the area of books. The use of the public library and bookstores has dwindled greatly in the past four years, due largely in part to the introduction of such e-readers as Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s Nook. In his article, Mondello reports, “Sales of physical books dropped 30 percent last year [2011], while e-book sales more than doubled,” (Mondello, 1). Though from an economic standpoint this shift in resources only results in the decline of book-producing companies, this shift has huge implications for the American population. It is proof that affection for books is being replaced with impersonal object mediums. We are no longer appreciative of the luxury that accompanies an afternoon spent questing for the perfect romance novel. Nor are we inclined to enjoy the soft, yet “well-traveled” smell that pastes itself onto the pages of a Shakespeare classic. Though an electronic reader has no personalization or scent, we settle for it because it is convenient and time-efficient. Secondly, in terms of cellular device usage, we are replacing humanity with text. The omnipresence of cell phone service has created a powerful, yet dangerous network for communication. For teens and young adults, the ease with which a five sentence text can be sent is beginning to outweigh the “hassle” of face-to-face contact. There is something to be said, though, for the bond formed when two friends, two lovers, two siblings speak side by side. This “something” includes vocal inflection, eyebrow wiggling, and hand gestures that convey messages in a method exclusive to humankind. When we put our conversations into text lingo, there is no room for humanity – sure, there are emoticons, but the happiness of a yellow cartoon face cannot bring warmth to a heart like the smile of a friend. When we use cell phones to bring those we love close to us, a text becomes the object and the people that we once held affection for become mere pictures on the other end of the line.
In closing, it is important to recognize that not all technological developments have replaced our affections for people. For example, the social networking site Facebook has made possible many relationships that might not otherwise exist. These relationships, including but not limited to members of a high school class, distant relatives, and childhood friends, are hindered by distance and Facebook has allowed for the closing of this communication gap. Likewise, it has developed a resource [as opposed to an object] for finding affection in those [physically] far from us. While there is a definite flip side to Mondello’s argument as exampled through this social network site, there are still many devices out there that are teaching consumers that affection for the person can be discarded, as long as the texting relationship stays alive. As explained previously, this mentally destroys everything that humanity is and settles for what is good enough. With this in mind, Mondello’s claim must be heeded as warning and should provoke an appreciation for the uniquely human qualities that can be found outside of the entertainment provided by technological devices.
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