Homework 1: Magazine Paragraphs

It is undoubtedly true that more and more people, especially youth, are carrying around smartphones, tablets, and other screened devices. And it is also true that the definition of “art” is changing, as it has with every successive generation. It may be true to many young adults that art must be entertaining to be meaningful. With the rise in popularity of videogames and other means of interactive storytelling, merely looking at a painting or sculpture may be underwhelming to some if there is no underlying meaning or story. And in an era where memories can be recorded in audio, video, or photographs with a few taps of a screen or a press of a button, it is becoming increasingly unnecessary to commit every moment of an event to memory.

But is this necessarily a bad thing? By recording experiences, it becomes possible to share those experiences with others, or preserve a memory clearly and completely for far longer than the mind can. While the brain is an unquestionably powerful entity, it is also prone to forget. Memory fades, while pictures can remain clear for years afterward. However, this does not necessarily mean that digital recordings are damaging the human mind’s ability to remember. Rather, it could be considered a safeguard or backup, of sorts. The electronic mind can remember what the organic mind may disregard. It is up to the individual to decide if they wish to record a memory or keep it only in their mind, and which method is the more “sincere” way of remembering. And is “retinal masturbation”, as Panera calls it, really such a bad thing? We live in an age where video and audio are everywhere. We read graphic novels, play videogames, listen to music, and get spammed by ads. The internet has allowed humanity to communicate and share ideas, values, and memories on a scale never before seen in our history.

Admittedly, this freedom of exchange also means that we are monitored on a scale never before seen in our history. Some of this monitoring is accepted willingly: many people document their entire lives on social media, where it can be reviewed by anyone from family members to mortal enemies. Other times, our personal information is in jeopardy, whether from advertisers looking to focus their efforts on the most likely customers, or for more shady purposes. The same can go for media and memories posted on the internet: it is very much true that, once something goes up online, it can never be taken down completely. Photographs and videos may be used for purposes not anticipated or accepted by their creators. This is perhaps the greatest drawback to being able to contain a moment behind a screen.

But, ultimately, this new trend of digital memory is not something to fear. Technology and culture are always changing and innovating, for better or for worse. To become an “emancipated observer” is to embrace this new practice and utilize it for the progression of humanity, ensuring that moments meant to be seen and remembered always will be.