Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Does TV/Internet Ruin Our Minds?
Heisenberg wrote a book on Quantum for the layperson in the 1950s in which he said something amazing. Once a technology like atomic energy, or cell phones, or i\Internet is developed you CANNOT shove it back in Pandora's box and say "Oh, sorry world, you should not use this."
Back around 400 B.C.E people like Socrates and Plato actually expressed mistrust in the written word BECAUSE the author might not be present to EXPLAIN what he means and the words would get twisted.
As late as the 1st century Bishop Irenaeus who first declared that there should be EXACTLY four official Gospels (using Ezekiel's vision of a flying wheel with four faces).. Irenaeus also expressed grave concern that the written word was dangerous in the absence of living people who could give the guidance of tradition in the interpretation. IF anything had the power to trash our brains it would be TELEVISION and perhaps it has trashed us with things like reality shows, Judge Judy, and Dr. Phil (not that they are not fine people but for entertainment we WALLOW in the details of other people's dysfunctional lives, and that is not healthy.)
