We remember the joke that the baby-sitter told us that night, and also the automobile accident that the sitter's mother was in years later. We humans have trouble remembering when the data we receive is associated with a limited number of cues. When we get most of our information from the same computer screen at the same desk in the same office, our memory falters because the computer screen cue is overloaded. The industry's main goal has become frightening computer users into believing that the technology they own, no matter how new, is obsolete. Consumers are desperate for the newest software release.
Businesses crave the competitive edge.
Computers have increased the tempo of our work day and extended its length as well. David Sarnoff, founder of NBC, spoke those very words about television in 1940. He cites several surveys demonstrating that, despite the omnipresent media and the rise of information technology, Americans are less informed than ever about public affairs. You may remember one of several old jokes where the punch line is that you had to hit someone on the head with a piece of lumber in order to get his attention. Shenk sees it flourishing in the loud, vicious, and sensationalist behavior of radio talk show hosts, television news, and politicians jockeying for support.