I’ve gone in five years from being seen as slightly retrograde to being seen as positively a crank. Five years from now, if I’m still not online it’s going to be seen as grandstanding … If I have a mission in talking about this, it is to bring the question out, bring it forward. The last words in my book are “Refuse it.” I sound like I’m speaking for the world. But I’m speaking only for myself. I don’t tell anyone else to refuse it, only to think about it.
Predictor: Birkerts, Sven
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article for Wired magazine, Harvey Blume interviews Sven Birkerts, author of “The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age.” Birkirts fears new technology is bringing us convenience in exchange for the loss of our souls. Following is a portion of the interview: ”Wired: So staying offline is an experiment you perform on yourself, a kind of performance art?” ”Birkerts: A kind of performance art. I’ve gone in five years from being seen as slightly retrograde to being seen as positively a crank. Five years from now, if I’m still not online it’s going to be seen as grandstanding.” ”Wired: You’re going to need a doctor’s note. What use can Wired readers make of your objections? Besides junking their machines, that is.” ”Birkerts: I don’t want people to junk their machines. If I have a mission in talking about this, it is to bring the question out, bring it forward. The last words in my book are ‘Refuse it.’ I sound like I’m speaking for the world. But I’m speaking only for myself. I don’t tell anyone else to refuse it, only to think about it.”
Biography:Sven Birkerts was the author of “The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age.” Birkerts feared new technology was bringing us convenience in exchange for the loss of our souls. (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: January 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Global Relationships/Politics
Subtopic: Democracy
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Digital Refusnik: Sven Birkerts Believes that Technology is Leeching the Spiritual Out of Human Experience
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/3.05/refusnik_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney