Entry 5

Guest speaker John Park gave us a lecture on the pros and cons of digital media, making us ask ourselves if we had a responsibility to be conscious of the impact certain innovations had on our lives. On the positive side, technology allows us a whole new level of organization, communication, and information storage that would otherwise be unobtainable without the internet and telecommunications. On the negative side, digital media is making us less involved in essential face-to-face interaction, takes a toll on the environment from so much manufacturing upgrades in technology, and ultimately holds the risk of turning us into zombies in the sense that we will learn to not think for ourselves, but instead let technology rule our lives and make our decisions for us. From all of the above, my biggest concern is that this transition to digital media in our society is slowly turning us into zombies because it just gets too easy to rely on technology to not only replace our critical thinking skills, but also our independence of thought.

In the case of ‘zombie threat’: while I can see how some applications of digital media pose the threat of turning us into inactive button-pressing cogs in the machine of society, I do not see digital media as the direct cause of this trend. As stated in class discussion, art is a reflection of current social attitude – the same goes for every other form of communication, including digital media. But is digital media really an accurate portrayal? Like traditional art, digital media is simply a medium through which members of society can express their will, and naturally those with more control over this new medium will use it to impose their own will. Take a look in the history books and it is apparent that this concept of zombification is not new – those in power have always tried to find ways to sedate the general public into acceptance and even idolization of the ‘greater will’ – the bourgeois’ will.

Take Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, for example. When asked in January 2010 why he keeps on taking away privacy capabilities from Facebook users, he replied, “"People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. … We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are [Read Write Web].” While we may want to blame digital media for this trend towards zombification and tell ourselves we need to be aware of the dangers this new medium of communication poses, the real danger is and has always been the will of the people in control of the medium. We mistake digital media as the problem because it is now the most dominant and accessible tool through which those in power can impose their wills on us; what we need to do is take this tool away from them and use it to improve the living conditions of the whole. We do this by creating opportunities through digital media that promote personal initiative and involvement.

I do not believe creating art pieces and digital programs that allow the audience to be involved in the creative process is enough alone to foster a more engaged and conscientious community. I do, however, think it is a great start and one of the biggest ways to influence society through creative means. Janet Cardiff’s ‘Walks’ art series is an example of this. I really wish I could experience one of her Walks so I can give a more informed view, not to mention also because I love mind-bending experiences, but for now I can only make inferences. Participating in one of Janet Cardiff’s ‘Walks’ art pieces seems like it would be a fun experience, but what really makes it interesting to me is the fact that it creates an uncommon, alien point of view for the audience. Because the audience is the active participant that pushes the experience along through opening doors, actively walking through the art piece, et cetera, hearing the audio that at times directly contradicts what is seen forces the audience to not only question environmental factors beyond their control, but their own actions as well. This, in turn, provokes the audience to develop a sharper sense to probe for the hidden realities around them, and question the results of their own actions. While it may seem a stretch to imagine art installations even make a dent in the big picture of society, these smaller things count on the subconscious level; I imagine a child going through The Walk and having the experience resonate with them so profoundly in their formative years that they learn to critically question everything they do, and in general, use a higher level of thinking.

Delving even deeper in the area of the psyche, my pessimistic and cynical view of society may just be due to my own personal mindset and experiences. What comes to mind is Paul Pfeiffer’s Dutch Interior which is based on the Amityville Horror staircase. This work of art focuses on the meeting of gazes between the devil and a human from different perspectives: one at the top of the stairway looking down, the other at the bottom looking up. Unlike Cardiff’s art piece which adds audio that does not accurately portray real-time reality, Pfeiffer allows you to look at the same real object through two different views, literally and metaphorically giving you a completely different perspective on the same unaltered object. It makes me think: wouldn’t this mean that I can lead a happier life simply by looking at the real facts about society’s condition in a different, more positive light? I definitely believe a positive attitude is important to being happy, but in the sense that it is important to stay positive in your attempt to change the world for the better, despite all the crap in the world you know to be real. I value the medium of art because it is the easiest outlet through which I can express my will. I think it’s great that now with the prevalence of digital media, the potential for anyone to access an outlet for expression has greatly increased. Although digital media has the tendency to be mistaken as a replacement for critical thinking and interactivity, it eases my worries to know that there are artists willing to counter the trend towards zombification and use digital media for providing new perspectives, provoking thoughtfulness, and promoting creative expressions of will.