In my search for comparisons between Romanticism and Post-modernism, at least in terms of philosophy, I discovered this frightening article The Death of Postmodernism And Beyond.
Alan Kirby says postmodernism is dead and buried. In its place comes a new paradigm of authority and knowledge formed under the pressure of new technologies and contemporary social forces.
It is something I suspect as we become increasingly depend on hand-held electronic devices.
With our saturation in floods of information and our decreasing consciousness as we use these machines, we seem to be playing with toys, surrendering our humanity for which Romanticism and Post-modernism fought. The ingredients are there for the fulfilment of Orwell’s Big Brother prophecy.
Can anyone be reassuring, or can you only confirm these fears of someone who could only say that he is glad to be a good way through his lifespan?
The Blue Flower 
Apparently divorce lawyers are noticing clients divorcing their partners because of addiction to their little I Phone screens. They come home from work and then spend hours gazing into them. I have done some long distance travelling in the UK recently and I observe folk engrossed in their electronic devices for hours on end. Perhaps even worse when dining in a pub in the South Midlands I noticed young couples completely ignoring each other continuously whilst staring into these boring devices.
I find all of this very sad indeed. I have considered what I can possibly write which may provide reassurance. Given the state of contemporary society that is difficult. I think the best we can hope for is that folk will become utterly bored with the whole thing and move on to something more productive and enjoyable. Actually watching these addicts they do look permanently bored and so this gives me some grounds for hope.
This is a video that made a big impression on me a couple of years ago. It is as far as it can go. This German kid seems to be completely insane or suffering from diabolical possession. It is hardly typical of most technology addicts, but it shows the extreme consequences.
Warning before you watch the video – I don’t know enough German to vouch for the translation subtitles, but there’s a lot of foul language.
Yes, it’s extreme, but I’m a little scared to realize that, semi-luddite though I be, I can relate to it. Is there anyone out there that has never shouted at his computer, or at least felt like doing so? I doubt that I’m the only one who has. There’s an awful tendency in us to think of our machines as sentient.
Although Dr Kirby’s paper took apparently 8 years to make it into Philosophy Now, I found reading it inspiring rather than dismal.
Are we called to mobilize, have available, and believe in the searchability of the Living Truth?