What intrigued me the most about Barry’s reading on Post-Modernism was Bauldrillard’s theory of “hyper-reality” and its parallels to Plato’s Cave. This illusion and misrepresentation of ‘objective reality’ was articulated as a response to electronic media in the 1980s and its nature to blur the lines between reality and illusion. These gilded representations create a fabricated mood, tone, attitude and abstraction for an individual who becomes bombarded with fragmented experiences and interpretations. The production speed of these images creates a distanced reality composed of images and experiences devoid of depth and truth of basic reality. This idea of Bauldrillard’s simulacrum creates emptiness because the surface value of images collapses reality and makes it hard to distinguish it from simulation. This concept reminds me of today’s youth and their reliance on electronic media.
In such a technologically advanced society, the younger generation is born into a wealth of simulated reality. With the popularity of role-playing games, interactive media, social internet sites, reality television and the jaw-dropping speed of innovative technology, it is almost impossible for individuals to distinguish between basic and simulated reality. This distancing also creates a malsocialized generation terrified of human interaction (which, as a teacher, is a frightening peek of humanity in the not-so-distant future.
What social, political and historical ramifications may result as this generation takes the helm?
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I thought of the same thing. I find it paradoxical that today's technology makes communication easy, yet results in a distancing of people from each other. People "do" things in virtual environments that they would never do around others. Words have really become cheap, and there is an attitude that all ideas are equal. Maybe there will be no war in the future, because this malsocialized generation won't go - maybe war will become a video game that goes on endlessly. I'm also worried about the arts - technology has made it easy to be a musician (Guitar Hero) or an artist (Publisher). The amount of time spent using these programs would be adequate to actually study and master the real discipline. But few seem to know or care about the difference.
ReplyDeleteJameson's Postmodern article written in 1984 seems to anticipate our discussion. What is "real" i.e. the end of "style, in the sense of the unique and personal, the end of the distinctive individual brushstroke (as symbolized by the mergent primacey of mechanical reproduction)" (274). That, of course, includes a liberation from the anxiety of modernism but as Jameson points out "a liberation from every other kind of feeling as well since there is no longer a self present to do the feeling" (274).
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty Modernist post! Looking back to the ideal form of communication and interaction. Time will tell if it truly was ideal and if we're doing something detrimental by utilizing technology the way we do. I don't necessarily agree with what you said or even what I'm saying now, but I'm trying to apply theory to things outside of texts.
ReplyDeleteWhether you take an optimistics or a pessimistic view of this cybertech age that we are living in seems beside the point in this epoch. Regardless of whether people hate or love cellphones/text messages/the internet/email/etc. we cannot abort the mission at this stage in the game. Like it or not, we the people especially of the united States are tied to our technology.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about the effects of technology and the firsthand affects on the kids I see in class everyday. I think it's terrible, but I guess it's the same thing our parents said about our reliance on technology back in the day. How far will it go though? Is Jameson right and it will be the ultimate end of original thought and expression?
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