Right now I am frantically studying for three midterms next week and like Baudrillard’s article discusses, I am bombarded with countless information and facts. My texts books, assignments, the internet, the radio I listen to while studying, and the five o’clock news I catch at dinner all feed me more information than I can possibly swallow. Some days, most days, it feels like information overload and I find myself drawing nearer and nearer to that “snapping point” discussed by Tapley last class. Information is constantly fired at me whether I like it or not; as such, I neutralize myself to everything I see and hear in a necessary effort to prevent an implosion of my senses.At times like these I truly become part of the mobilized mass, accosted by information at a dizzying rate but choosing to no longer respond to its “tactile touch.” Information is simultaneously accelerating and decelerating and it is this phenomenon that has bred a culture of technological and information literate individuals apathetic to the thousands of fragmented pieces of info presented constantly. Right now I am one of them. I don’t care about anything other than the physiology textbook laying in front of me. I tune out the news, the radio, and all other information-it hits me, bounces off, and I merely keep going. Weeks like these make me ask myself if I am missing the big picutre? What am I really overlooking?
Kelly Mac.
3 comments:
Holy shit, that picture is fucking scary. :-) (This isn't my official response, Heather!)
I think that at times, many, many times, we all feel apathetic and self absorbed and involved. But the fact remains that right now there are people, however few, that are not apathetic and are critically analyzing everything they see, images, facts, ‘reality’ etc. and are trying to make a difference. These people are looking for reflection and not so much ‘perfection’. However, if we consider Baudrillard’s acceleration/deceleration concepts then currently images are still increasing, and currently reflection is decreasing and more people are becoming apathetic. This is a seriously worrying thought. I wonder how long it will take until everyone is completely apathetic and life just continues in one cycle after another that does not really matter. Or, maybe I am just naïve, and we are already there.
I definalty agree with you about the desensitization we aquire due to the rapid abundance of images and information bombarded at us all the time. I, like you, are in the mid-semester crunch -so many assignments and midterms so little time! Due to the massive amount of information I am already trying to jam into my head I find myself filtering out and neutralizing myself to any extra information. I definalty find myself wondering the same question: "am I missing the big picture?" Is this a prime example of the individualistic cultural climate we are living in. Have we become so caught up in our own lives that we filter out any information which does not directly affect us? When we see the plethora of images from Iraq with the latest casualties, do we stop and actually think about it or does it filter thorugh us as we continue on with our own lives because we are so desensitized and unable to connect to it on a personal "tactile" level? Can this be attributed to the acceleration/ deceleration that Baudrillard talks about and our loss history?
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