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Information is Over-rated
I know it's the information age, yet I declare that information is over-rated and that Google is a show stopper. Information in abundance seems like an unconditionally good thing, but I’m not buying it. Our knee-jerk efforts to seek and provide information often shut down conversations and cheapen relationships. Here are three examples.
I was in the back of the crowd at a music festival. Just arrived. A blues band was killin it on the stage. I texted my friends in the crowd with a photo of the band: "Just got here. Who's that on the East Stage? Wow!" A response came immediately with a link to the schedule. And then no other comments. I know, technically, they were providing the information I sought. But of course I could have looked up the schedule! What I wanted was CONVERSATION about the band, and to connect - in conversation - with others in the crowd.
I was in a text conversation and my conversation partner mentioned TTPD. "What's TTPD?" I asked. "Google it" came the swift response. Good information, of course. But at that moment I didn't want a research detour. I was in the middle of a conversation. I wanted to hear HER explanation about that - so much more interesting than what the internet would tell me - and then I could reply back. About what she said.
I was trying to engage with a high school kid. "So who are your favorite teachers?" I asked. His dad immediately stepped in with the answer. But honestly, I cared way less about the actual information than how the kid would answer the question. I was trying to make conversation, not get information.
Easily accessible information often short-cuts the art of conversation. What's really interesting in a conversation is the struggle with the hard questions; when the answer is actually not immediate. And a shared struggle - a conversation around something we're both questioning - brings us together. Many times in a conversation I don't actually want the factual answer to the question I'm asking you, I want to see how you answer it. I want to talk with you about it. Usually the last thing I want is to bring in a factual authority to stop the debate. It's the debate that I'm here for.
Just like capitalism has wired us to seek convenience over quality, capitalism also wants us to seek information over conversation. We have been programmed by advertisers to want the most convenient thing rather than the thing that might provide a richer experience. And similarly, we are being programmed to seek information though a screen rather than conversation with a friend or neighbor. Why? As an advertiser, if I can turn your attention away from your friend and to a screen, then while you're there I can sell you stuff.
Continued here, and comments
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