Anderson 1 Alexander Anderson Mrs.

Balasubramanian English 120 2/23/2012

Blaming the Gun Since the birth of the mind, people have continuously held external factors responsible for their problems, instead of finding the peace deep within, beneath and beyond the thoughts they identify with. In the book, Democracy and its Discontents (1974), Daniel Boorstin, a former American history professor at the University of Chicago, writes about his position on technologys effect on various human experiences. He believes that Americans are not fully experiencing the present moment due to the amount of attention they devote to their gadgets. Boorstin begins by explaining his image of a democratic society as one that is governed by a spirit of equality and dominated by the desire to equalize. He goes on to link his perception of a democratic society with technology as simply a means of carrying out democratization, or rather equalization. Boorstin then states that due to technologys attempts to equalize society, personal experiences have become attenuated or flattened out. According to Boorstin, various consequences of technological development include: the removal of certain distinctions between everything and everything else; the ability to repeat certain experiences; and investing resources as a precaution to various complications, or insurance for short. Daniel Boorstin has presented his observations in such a manner in order to illustrate how various devices have been a hindrance to peoples natural ability to appreciate the experiences which seemingly would have been appreciated more otherwise. He wants someone who has considered his argument to relinquish their technological advancements and be grateful for life

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without such obstructions. Boorstin is appealing to those concerned with others attachment to technological advancements. People interested in his writing believe that there is some underlying problem with technology that needs to be fixed. Daniel Boorstin is incorrect in his assumption that technology makes experience less meaningful for the only factor affecting the potency of any experience is the level of consciousness of the human experiencing the given moment. Boorstins supporting claims are fairly applicable to todays society. People do still use cameras, watch instant replays, and other things which he mentioned in his book. His remarks regarding peoples level of enjoyment while utilizing technology versus not using technology arent based on any facts, interviews, or any other tangible data. All of his ideas are based on his own perception, which are ultimately biased. It is not possible to accurately measure someones level of enjoyment through observation alone, not to mention compare them to anything else. Boorstin begins his argument with the conjecture that democracy is an attempt to equalize circumstances, and that technology is being used by people to carry out equalization. While this may apply to a few instances, this is not generally correct. Democracy is a form of government, not a desire to equalize, and no government would exist without the technology to communicate beliefs, or to punish people thought to be unpatriotic. This is why technology has preceded all forms of government, and also why the first government established, as well as all governments, was a respond to war, not a desire to congregate. Technology is putting human experience into various apparatus. Collective experience put into action has enabled people to coexist in the manner which they do. Technology is the map to venture across a land, the net to catch fish, as well as the instrument to create music. It is not

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limited to the few items which may be viewed as a hindrance to being happy from an external observation. Boorstin fails to realize that the car taking someone to the Grand Canyon is technology, a different page of the same book he claims to be limiting such an experience. The ability to repeat an experience does not make it any less enjoyable the first time. If it were not enjoyable or meaningful during the initial experience, people would not choose to repeat it. Many people also pick up things from further analysis that they missed during the first experience, which is the reason why the instant replay is used in sports, and robberies. Insurance does not diminish the happiness which can be experienced by appreciating a possession. The thrill experienced by not having insurance on important belongings is compensated by the fear of loss. Television has provided people with access to a visual and audio feed captured in some other part of the world, but it is perfectly possible to enjoy the experience of sitting on a couch, or being with a love one while engaging in a television show. Daniel Boorstin has taken a broken view of technology and a few subjective observations and claimed that technology is responsible for a flattening out of the present experience. Technology is not to blame for any such attenuation, but rather the people themselves. The universe is dance of energy which must be experienced through skewed consciousness in order to become aware of itself. It is perfectly possible to label the energy around us as attenuated, dull, or less meaningful than anything else, but the only determining factor regarding any experience is the state of mind of the experiencing consciousness. The same circumstance can be judged by one as boring and another as exciting. The difference is their capability silence the voice in the head, escape the past and future, and exist in the present moment. The product of human experience is not to blame for the inability to enjoy timeless existence.