Embracing Technology

“That was then, this is now”. Birkerts recognizes that change is taking place. Confronted with the future, Birkerts fears the “embrace of technologies” (211). It is impossible, however, to ignore them. Even Birkerts admits that “it is very clear that the process is well underway and that it is not likely to stop” (211). This process includes the ever expanding World Wide Web, filled with informative cites such as Wikipedia, search engines such as Google, and hypertexts such as “The Jew’s Daughter”. “The Jew’s Daughter” is an example of a hypertext and also of a larger cultural shift to a technological society, one that is feared by some but one that is inevitable; this change should be embraced in order to create a new, more efficient way in which to gather information.

Some may ask, as I did, what is a hypertext? A hypertext is a text displayed on a computer or another electronic device. A hypertext demands an active reader; it blurs the distinction between author and reader, and it is fluid, multiple, and changing. In addition, hypertexts are not fixed or single; they have no beginning or ending, no center or margin, no inside or outside. They are multi-centered, networked, and finally anti-hierarchical and democratic. It is clear from these definitions that a hypertext is entirely different than a text on paper. It is this distinction that allows a reader to approach electronic texts correctly.

The Jew’s daughter has a narrative that is unique in that the story is navigated by rolling over a blue word which subtly changes the narrative of the entire page. The text is an example of a hypertext that demands its reader’s interaction. It is also fluid and changing. The story is certainly compelling and thought provoking and it must be read in depth. The depth of reading concerns Birkerts and this text is certainly multi-faceted and profound enough to garner even his focus. There are no distractions in this text merely words on a page that shift by way of the reader’s initiation. The page is stationary the only movement is so subtle that one can easily miss its transformation. The brilliance in the configuration of this text is that as the text changes the story remains almost seamless and certainly continuous. If one approaches the text with the understanding that it is not a work of literature meant for the printed page, the need for comparison is eliminated and it can be enjoyed for what it is: an interactive electronic work of literature.

There are various electronic texts that lack depth and meaning. As in any type of literature the possibility of poor authorship exists. Many of the electronic texts offered on the internet are shallow and unnecessary. One could certainly feel “uninspired” by such texts, much like Birkerts was by Stuart Moulthrop’s “Victory Garden” (151). Birkerts fears technology like these hypertexts because “we are, as a culture, as a species, becoming shallower; that is we have turned from depth” (228). This statement could very well be true. Technology presents us with many distractions. However, it also gives us the ability to dive deeper than ever before. There is a limitless source of knowledge and information on the internet. Research that would have taken weeks can be reduced to hours online. One can read one article and follow a hyperlink to yet another. The way in which we learn and gather information has changed and contrary to Birkerts, I believe this is a good thing.

Socrates was concerned with what the transition from orality to script. Birkerts compares this historical change to the new technological change that is taking place. He is concerned that the “rules of intellectual procedure [are changing] completely” (156). Is this a bad thing? No. Texts like “The Jew’s Daughter” are part of this change. Birkerts writes about that the “fervid embrace of the future, [and the] inevitability of complete social transformation” (215). While he finds this disconcerting I find it exciting. We as a society are given access to mass amounts of knowledge. The concern with technology need only be how to utilize it in order to learn more efficiently. Birkerts recognizes the inevitability of change yet he limits himself by fearing it. Technology must be embraced in order to transform our society not into one of less intelligence but into one capable of exploiting the incredible intellectual possibilities it affords us.

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