Must resist googling…at least sometimes!

More thoughts on Q. J. Schultze (2002) Habits of the High-Tech Heart. Baker Academic, Grand Rapids, MI.

"In spite of the psychological research and publication in the last century, it would be difficult to make the case that people are better off psychologically." (Schultze, p. 47)

I have to admit I laughed out loud when I read that sentence in Schultze. However, this statement probably reflects the aphorism "it's funny, but it's not." In chapter 2, Schultze examines the problem of how immoderate informational desires affects our knowing, especially our moral knowing. He describes the problem as "drowning in a deepening sea of fragmented, trivial, and incoherent information…[resulting] in moral confusion, not virtue. (p. 48)

I don't believe Schultze is asserting that despite the abundance of available information, people are not better informed. Rather, it appears his concern is that the "moral value of information depends on distinctly human faculties such as insight, discernment, and judgement. These kinds of interpretive abilities cannot be derived from the secular-rational logic of digital networks and database systems" (pp. 52-53)

Schultze feels the volume of information available and consumed creates an incoherence rooted in a lack of interpretive abilities rather than technological abilities. In support of this notion, he quotes the CEO of one web search engine company as saying "The best search engine...is between your ears" (p. 53).

Schultze makes a legitimate point by stressing the need for moral wisdom - "the capacity to recognize what is intrinsically good and right, what is worth knowing and remembering and how to use it wisely, if at all. Without such insight, we will discover that greater quantities of information become more of a curse than a blessing" (p. 53)

What kind of curse can it become? Schultze claims it can lead to moral confusion - a kind of informational gluttony and avarice. However, blogger toniowhola (see http://toniowhola.posterous.com/disconnect-from-your-laptop-for-2-hours-a-day) points out that he disconnects his computer from the internet for two hours every day—not only to cut down on distraction, but also to force himself to learn better without always defaulting to "just Google it." Toniowhola does not claim the internet is inherently bad, rather, he regularly unplugs to enhance his learning processes. Could it be that informationism might also harm our abilities to learn?

Sometimes I wonder "what would I do on a computer if it wasn't connected to the internet." I actually have done this and found I'm on it significantly less, which is probably a good thing. Although I can still be creative unplugged (e.g. writing, digital photography, etc.), the moderation of my access to the internet is something I should practice more. I think Schultze would appreciate this blogger's habit.