[essay]
the pub
Invisibility in the Public Forum
Abby Long is a junior English literature major from Medford, OR. She invented a floral bikini harness for a chicken so she could take her on walks in style. Abby.Long@my.wheaton.edu
The first synthetic mediums we learn as infants are verbal and nonverbal language.While language has the ability to connect one individual to another, it also creates a disconnection, in Jason Smith that there is always something lost in communication. Think of language as one chain link that I want you to imagine that you’ve become in- both binds and separates communicators. Then visible. Gone is the eye of public scrutiny, that add another synthetic medium like texting. Now, social panopticon that monitors and judges all not only do we have to navigate the imperfecyour activities. Perhaps for the first time in your tions of language, but language that is quickly life, you truly feel free. But what’s the trade-off ? punched out on a phone’s dial pad. The more You soon come to realize that with your new- synthetic mediums one adds to a single commufound invisibility, you are not only free to deviate nication, the more links that may separate the communicator from the from social protocol, but recipient of the communialso society’s moral code. In the computer age, cation. You now have free reign to Through the wide “edit” your academic rival’s our experiences are array of synthetic medinotebook, publicly lamno longer mediated ums available, now more baste a fellow cabinet memthan ever before we have ber you’ve always disagreed through direct ability to communicate with, and even heckle a sensory perception. the to a worldwide audience speaker out of Edman while enjoying the comfort Chapel. That’s just the beginning. While this vision has been explored by of invisibility. I’m not talking about encrypted H. G. Wells, it is not science fiction. You might surfing to avoid identity theft — but rather the be surprised to learn that it’s happening right simple and amazing ability to participate in this now. Without even realizing the fact, you might new informational world while remaining anonbe taking part in this phenomenon. You might ymous. Think about it: Every time you deliver information anonymously on the web or any be one of the Invisibles. In the computer age, our experiences are public forum, you are invisible. Is there anything inherently wrong with no longer mediated through direct sensory perception. Now, public forums allow us to expe- this ability? No, not necessarily. There are times rience stimuli through multiple synthetic medi- when invisibility is appropriate and even necesums, such as email, Facebook Wall posts, and sary to protect personal information and safety. phone conversations. By synthetic mediums, I Unfortunately, my experience suggests that the mean any method of communicating informa- vast majority of anonymous communication on tion. Here, public forums refer to platforms that public forums does not yield positive results. We need to look no further than the racial support multiple types of synthetic mediums — slurring on so many YouTube comments secthe Internet, for instance.
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addictive, side-affect inducing medications, I re- portunity to get an edge. I take personal pride emerged into reality with a renewed zeal for life. in ferreting out a true bargain. I harmonize I decided to seek out the opportunities for joy with the melody of my printer. As fibromyalgia relentlessly wracks my body that God has sprinkled about with pain, I stubbornly refuse among the detritus of life. God, with his to give in to the accompanying God, with his unfathomunfathomable listlessness it induces. able capacity to bring good from what is evil, has used capacity to bring fibromyalgia to prune my good from what “Yum!” My taste buds apathy. I have discovered that seeking joy in the ordinary is a is evil, has used dance with joy. “That was a spectacular orange. It’s not way to be present and well. Alfi bromyalgia to all dry like the geriatric vathough my pain never relents, the quest for delight in minu- prune my apathy. riety they had on Monday.” I glance up from my pile of tiae disrupts the accompanying cycle of cynicism. I create new things from orange peels, taking in my friend’s tired face. old stuff; cassette tapes, pencil erasers and door- “Mm. So, tell me, how is your sister doing back knobs become jewelry. I break into a Russian home?” “Well, she’s struggling. But she’s applying accent for the simple joy of it. I coin new words such as “salubre” (the noun form of salubrious) for jobs, so that’s a step in the right direction.” “Good, that is definitely the next step.” Laand “phobidairacheea” (meaning fear of dairy products). I create my internet passwords to in- tissimus dorsi. Serratus anterior. Temporalis. Reaching volve cheese. When driving, I play a gas-mileage for the other orange on my Saga tray, I smile, game with myself, coasting liberally at every op- knowing that this, too, is the next step.