Books and Television: The Technology of Stories
Technology changes everything, and it's awesome. We live in a time where, in the span of 60 years, we have harnessed the fission potential of Stars, sent dozens of vehicles, probes, and satellites to every moon and planet in our solar system, and revolutionized every aspect of our societies and cultures. But where did it all start?
When we comment on the great catalysts of civilization: we always reference the invention of the wheel, or the first uses of fire. I, however, believe the seminal link to our technological and cultural success is in the processes by which we translated oral language into the written word; thereby inventing Books. People don't seem to realize it, but a Book is by definition, a piece of technology. Sagan remarks on this with his famous quote:
The process involved in building a book is fascinating in itself. First, a seed falls into its chosen spot, then it germinates, sprouts, and eventually blossoms. Many years later, the tree is grown: filled with a hull of fibers and canals to send sap every which way. It is then cut down, and those fibers are compressed into a 'mulchey', gooey pulp. That pulp is beaten, and beaten until the right consistency. It is then drawn out into sheets, and arranged into small rectangles or squares. Finally, after it has dried, it is purchased by a great thinker like Albert Einstein; and on it he writes about a dream he has the night before. That dream is eventually worked into his theory of Special Relativity, and the world is changed forever.
Despite how far they have taken us, I feel like books are somehow being threatened by the technology they helped create. I am finding that as we entertain, learn, and live more through the mediums of Television and Video games, we are losing a vital part of our ability to grow. The benefits associated with reading a story are outlined in this documentary by the BBC:
Essentially, the documentary highlights the benefits that reading has on our neurological health, growth, and abilities. By reading, the areas of our brain related to experience, learning, and memory become incredibly active. This is because when we read, we emerge ourselves into a story, and relate to the characters in it. This is why the movie is never as good as the book, and why the cognitive abilities of someone are always much stronger when they spend more time reading.
Your Brain on Fiction
By ANNIE MURPHY PAUL. New York Times
"Brain scans are revealing what happens in our heads when we read a detailed description, an evocative metaphor or an emotional exchange between characters. Stories, this research is showing, stimulate the brain and even change how we act in life."..."individuals who frequently read fiction seem to be better able to understand other people, empathize with them and see the world from their perspective. This relationship persisted even after the researchers accounted for the possibility that more empathetic individuals might prefer reading novels."
When we watch television, we seem to be allowing others to experience the story instead. It is a very passive form of learning, and by showing us what the story looks and sounds like, we lose our ability to imagine those things with the power of our own brains. The most exciting part about a story, in my opinion, is when you perceive the characters and the surroundings they are in. I find that this is why television can be so boring. There is no sense of adventure or mystery because everything is laid out in front of you to absorb, and then you are much more likely to forget it. The impact on you is less, which means the story does not carry the same power that it would of had if it were adapted to a novel.
What worries me the most, is that the more we sit in front of the television, the more we give in to the conformity that Corporations shove in our faces. Their advertisements for cheap crap, and their brain-washing media are an actual threat as they continue to control much of what drives our culture. Books, on the other hand, combat this conformity and teach us to be unique and adventurous. Almost every accomplished author, in every time-period, was actively writing 'against the grain' of standard-thought; and worked to encompass a story not just for the sake of itself, but to imagine and portray the realities of the human condition.
Word. Truth. Amen. ...another words...you won't get any argument from me on this one! I am in full agreement and the article from NYTimes is one I use often. I didn't need the article to tell me all that, but I think it helps convince some of the non-believers, or just folks that never paid much attention to what Stephen King calls the "portable magic" in a book.
ReplyDeleteSo, keep reading Nolan...it takes the readers to change the world, in ways big and small.