Tutorial 1 Week 2 - Shift from the Print to Digital
It is only natural for the “old” to be replaced by the “new”, and the “new” to be replaced by the “newer”.
This has been a natural food chain that we have long accepted.
In the history of literature, print was a profound turning point in changing the way we communicate, interpret, and understand language. Some initially viewed it as an “unnatural” form of expression, and the public remained “suspicious” of the consequences of its use.
We were accustomed to the physical aspect of communication, in which a human face could be attached to an idea or thought. However, the print allowed for the temporal and spatial collapse of the real-time author-reader interaction and opened up an explosive sphere of ever-expanding knowledge.
The written language could now be recorded, transported, read at a later time, and most importantly, answer the questions of those who sought them. In another sense, it can also be said that, even more questions became unanswered (questions that arose from previous questions being answered – the greed to know more).
Just like the profound shift from manuscript to print, so was the transition from print to digital.
And over time, the “new” (print) became the “normal”, and the “normal” became the “old”, moving along the food chain.
With the emergence of the “new” (digital), came the mandatory naturalisation process, seemingly, a rite of passage – to find its place within the social environment and publics surrounding it.
And it is the naturalisation process in which we start at one end of the spectrum: unfamiliarity. This is where we learn the ropes, know-hows, and techniques which equip us in not only understanding how to use the new form, but also, assisting us in our endeavours of strategically manoeuvring ourselves into advantageous positions within the publics. And the point at which we are unconsciously strategising our tactics to improve our status, this is where it marks the other end of the spectrum -when the unfamiliar becomes the familiar.
Certain practices and rituals arise from the use of different mediums. These practices and rituals are unique to the culture which forms around the medium. The transition to print for example, saw the hearing public gradually transform into the reading public. Previously emphasising on the coming together of people, the print gave way to the identical duplication of text in which the solitary reader was put at the forefront. This led to the emergence of new kinds of communal gathering places, such as the bookshops, coffee houses and reading rooms in which we gather together, to read on our own.
In a similar way, the digitisation of print media has also emphasised on these individualised practices and rituals surrounding these technological platforms and devices.
Although I am not a savvy social media person myself, I found that in the little time I spent on digital platforms of publishing such as Facebook, I had also fallen victim to the unconscious habitual practice of “reading but not actually reading”.
You know what I mean.
This is the situation where you post/share something which may make you look more intelligent or sophisticated in the eyes of the imaginary audience, but in fact, you know nearly nothing of it.
This is a very common practice in which individuals feel inclined to boost their reputation.
I found it very fascinating in that even with the constant revolutionising of publishing, these rites of passage and naturalisation was the one constant factor along the publishing food chain.
Food for thought: any other enduring rites of passage?
References
Eisenstein, Elizabeth (1979) ‘Defining the initial shift: some features of print culture’ in The Printing Press as an Agent of Change Vol. 1, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 43-163
Haile, Tony (2014) ‘What you think you know about the web is wrong’, Time.com, March 9, <http://time.com/12933/what-you-think-you-know-about-the-web-is-wrong/>
Kendall, Len (2014) ’Actually Reading’, Medium.com, April 26, <https://medium.com/best-thing-i-found-online-today/actually-reading-7333481c0b1a>
Lehrer, Jonah (2010) ‘The Future of Reading’, Wired, September 8, <http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/09/the-future-of-reading-2>