Everyone and his uncle, particularly if the 'uncle' is a grumpy, old codger like me, blames that damned 'internet-thingie' for producing a cacophony of information that swamps what passes for our minds and leaves us no room to think. However, reading my 'livre du jour', The Story of Britain, I am reminded of a much earlier 'perp' who helped kick off this tidal wave of information - Master William Caxton.
He was the 15th century rascal who went off to Bruges and learned about those new-fangled printing-press-thingies. His Dad should have given him a smack and told him never to go abroad because you only ever pick up bad habits! Anyway, he went and was so enthralled with these printing devices, he brought one back and set up shop. It has been downhill ever since as a never-ending deluge of 'information' has poured all over the globe.
No doubt some swot somewhere has analysed how this changed the world irrevocably, occasionally for good but often for bad! Today we are going through much the same process via this internet-thingie' which seems to have addled what passes for our brains although, thinking about it, perhaps our brains have always been addled and all the printing presses and internet have done is to display the depressing fact for all to see.
This internet 'thang' especially social media will prove to be a social disease on its current course.
Posted by: Whitewall | Tuesday, 25 September 2018 at 11:06
David, the world might be a better place if only we were all more ignorant, but there seems to be something amiss in that notion, if only that it contradicts your apparently professed love of books. You Brits and your irony...
Posted by: Bob | Tuesday, 25 September 2018 at 13:11