#digital turn

This afternoon I attended a round-table discussion of four professor's perspectives on "The Digital Turn", referring to the current climate of increasing dependence on communication technologies. It made me think about how much the writing profession is evolving. When I graduate how can I apply what I've been studying to these new digital forms. How is the role of author/writer changing? Is that an identity anybody can claim? 

Bettina Fabos, Communication Studies  Dr. Fabos's focus was on the politics of the internet. She defined the "turn" as the explosion of media platforms and media convergence. One thing she is concerned with is the way the internet has allowed digital companies not traditionally associated with media now gross the most profits from the proliferation of media. They've been allowed to engage in vertical integration (the monopolization of creation, distribution and presentation of media), which was originally seen has detrimental to the market and consumer. Now it occurs with zero challenges.

She is also worried about the "cloud" and how we are entrusting our stuff to these companies. It is breaking down privacy barriers and turning us into a commodity. These vendors also demand allegiance, where are you going to store your pictures, videos, documents? 

Her final worry is related to the ease at which companies insert advertisements into these emerging forms of communications. Her big question is: how and when will advertising affect the narrative content of literature? As one audience member challenged: Hasn't this already begun?

David Grant, Languages & Literatures Dr. Grant took on the "turn" from a theoretical perspective. His opening argument was that digital mediums erase the need for a defined cause and effect chain. Instead it allows us to the the interrelated dynamics across occuring events. This extends to a blurring of the object and the subject. In a journal article it is not just the scientist and his findings, but it is the story he wants to tell, as well as the ethical and social demensions surrounding his publication. In print media we tend to focus on the first of Arostotle's appeals, ethos (ethics) and logos (logic), but digital media opens up new ways for us to draw upon pathos (emotions). We have moved beyond orality and literacy and into electracy. This means that teachers need to begin to make the loop to connect traditional learning the emerging art writing digitally. 

Adrienne Lamberti, Languages & Literatures Dr. Lamberti opened her talk by saying that using digital media is not a choice, it is something all professionals must embrace. For her this has created an anxiety that there is going to be an end to humanities, but she found hope in Kate Pullinger's talk on digital literature. Pullinger insisted that people will always tell stories and digital brings new ways to tell stories, new mediums of expression. This is what inspired Dr. Lamberti's "turn". She moved from focusing on the technology to a human focus. She is a champion for using narrative to reach communication goals. It's about being a person, not about being pushed around by digital technology.