Momentous end of summer decisions

It was not the easiest of summers; in fact, it was one of the busiest. Among other things, I have to finalise two papers for two different conferences in Krakow and London. To top it all, in its dying days I was faced with two awesome decisions. One I have already taken, the other one still looms ahead. Let me start with the last one.

To change or not to change

Should I or should I not change my mobile to one more modern, more glitzy, more efficient and more multi-tasking? It is not an easy decision.

Technology to-day, much more than before, has become a cultural metaphor. We are fashioned in the image and likeness of the technology we use. It tells volumes about us. Should I buy the latest technology but hide it in the body of an older phone? But would not that be a kind of hypocrisy? Should I publicly accept that I am a gizmo lover? It is a sort-of technological outing of oneself. No one is perfect and I guess even those who do not like me one bit can concede me one little defect: technophilia?

The decision, therefore, is not changing the mobile technology I use, but it is about making a statement about me. I am spending nights turning in my bed not knowing what to decide.

I needed counsel. My adviser is Beppe Lauri. He is a nine-year-old boy. Whatever you ask him about these twenty first century gizmos he readily comes with an answer. He compares one smart phone with another. He gives you the pros and cons. His tastes, I must admit are not cheap. My ego comes into play here: Can I admit to a nine-year-old boy that I am too stingy to buy the smart phone he thinks is the best?

I take a different tack. “Come on Beppe”, I say “this is too complex for me.” “No, Joe”, he says “I’ll show you how to use it.”

My ego is flatted. I teach communication studies at University. I discuss the socio-cultural effects of these technologies on contemporary society. I an currently writing two academic papers on different aspects of media literacy. Then I find out that I am partly media illiterate and that I have to take tutorials from a nine year old boy to be able to navigate in the digital oceans. Come on Joe you will have to do a terzo grado to swallow this one! Are you ready to do that?

Children’s relationship to media technology is radically different from the relationship I experienced during my childhood. Some say that this new relationship brought with it the disappearance of childhood. Did it do that? The book was the dominant medium of our childhood. Then, for a generation after us, the medium was TV. It is very easy for us to change our biases into an ideology suggesting how the world should be. What has disappeared, perhaps, is not childhood but our world.

To-day’s children was to connect and to be creative. The media they use make them comment instantly with the rest of the world. We used to play with other children in the little street we lived in. To-day’s children go on the Net and play with children from England, Italy, USA, Australia ….. You name it and it’s there. The new media give scope for creativity much more than TV did. The Net is active, interactive, democratic, creative and instantaneous. TV dumps programmes on people. The Net offers users a fantastically vast buffet and you can do your own meal. We have moved from the push media to the pull media; from passivity to activity. Quite naturally, the Net has its disadvantages and dangers as well. However, several of the myths that people of my age build around it and against it are mainly an admission of incompetence on their part, not incompetence on the part of our children.

The digital world belongs to our children. We are immigrants and should have the humility to accept the knowledge of the natives.

Probably I will take Beppe’s advice and buy the model he is suggesting so long as he does not charge me for the tutorials.

To rest or not to rest

I am a bit of a workaholic. Worse still, I am partly a victim of the Protestant work ethic. Relaxing and doing nothing but resting is almost anathema for me. Alas, a great temptation besieged me in the dying days of summer. “Take a few days off” the temptress said. “Come on” I angrily reacted. “You do not know what you are saying.” I know that the world will still go round if I stop working for a few days. However, something deep down tells me that I should not stop.

I gave in to the temptation and I do not regret it one little bit. Last week I spent three days away from it all, lazing in the sun and dipping myself from time to time in a big pool in a fantastic environment.

It is true that I was not really away from it all. I had my laptop and Internet connection. My anti-virus was creating problem for my connectivity and that helped me to rest more. From time to time, I dipped into my blog and wrote the odd comment. I duelled with a young seminarian whom I teased with the nickname of “Us” & “We”. I admired his combative spirit. His final comment was too long for me to read let alone comment on. I preferred to turn my attention to the comments of Dr Joe Brincat and put my contribution under his opinion.

The break was too short and the immersion if the real world was tough and cruel. Fortunately, not all is lost. Experience shows us that one sin leads to another. I promise myself to rest for a longer time next year.