Hypertext Shapes Our Digital Reality, Language, And Freedom
What is our digital reality?
The digital landscape has rapidly evolved since the invention of computers and smart phones. What is perceived as normal now (texting, social media, etc.) would have been absurd a few decades ago. George P. Landow mused in his book Hypertext that “Electronic text processing marks the next major shift in information technology of the development of the printed book. It promises (or threatens) to produce effects on our culture, particularly on our literature, education, criticism and scholarship”. Our current digital reality revolves around constant exposure to digital media.
Digital media has enticed us. Tristan Harris in his article “How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds — from a Magician and Google’s Design Ethicist” said that phones are like slot machines, “When we pull our phone out of our pocket, we’re playing a slot machine to see what notifications we got”. Everyone wants the rush of validation that follows positive affirmation from the digital device and social media. Harris continued his explanation, “If you want to maximize addictiveness, all tech designers need to do is link a user’s action (like pulling a lever) with a variable reward. You pull a lever and immediately receive either an enticing reward (a match, a prize!) or nothing. Addictiveness is maximized when the rate of reward is most variable”. Users constantly check their phone so that they can be rewarded by what they find. If they have not received validation in a while, they will check there phone again and again.
Is digital culture impacting language?
Digital media has boosted a change in the English language. Texting helped to create a new method of written communication. Instead of texting in complete sentences, cellphone conversations incorporate a series of abbreviated word. Instead of “I don’t care for her to be honest. What about you? I’ll be right back, talk to you later”, one could abbreviate to “idc 4 her tbh. wbu? brb ttyl”. Any teenager would understand the latter sentence without any issues but older generations would struggle because they have not evolved with the digital language. Robert Coover in The New Media Reader said, “in the world of video transmissions, cellular phones, fax machines, computer networks, and in particular out the humming digitalized precincts of avant-garde computer hackers, cyberpunks and hyperspace freaks, you will often hear it said that the print medium is a doomed and outdated technology” (706). Digital language currently has a influence but it has not eradicated the popularity of print media. Libraries might be struggling but they have not been annihilated. There is still value in books because of the intimacy of holding something in hand and the relationship formation that develops.
Does digital media encourage freedom?
Freedom is the aspiration of almost everyone. Individuals want to be free to follow their own desires and not hindered by what someone else wants them to do. Each person wants to feel powerful in their own life. No matter what, people want the choice to do what they want when they want. But true freedom is chaos. If citizens had complete freedom, if there was no police force, who would keep us safe from those that take their freedom too far and encroach on other’s freedom? In American, citizen are supposedly free. But we have laws and we have to follow the rules or else there are consequences so is that true freedom?
In the same way that we want personal freedom, we want digital freedom. We want to be able to mold the web to fit our purposes and manipulated the information to suit our needs. Be true freedom on the internet would be complete chaos. We don’t like the position of passive consumer of digital media but we couldn’t handle the chaos that would ensue with complete freedom. The average person’s comprehension of hot the internet works would not enable them to survive in a completely free hypertext environment.
