Dear Sir,
In David Clark’s review of Virtually Human by Ed Brooks & Pete Nicholas in the July edition of en, he articulates a common Christian idea that it is not technology but sinful users that cause problems.
The Internet is basically neutral; it is like a book that can be used to convey ‘eternal truths’ or ‘portray the worst obscenities.’ The problem with this view is that scholars like Professor W. J. Ong have shown that communication media like printed books have shaped human beliefs, values and behaviour throughout history.
For example, with the invention of the printing press, private silent reading became normal (rather that reading out loud socially) and new notions of privacy and plagiarism developed with standardised texts. Similarly, it is not just the Internet’s content that influences users; it is the technology itself. If I were to try and communicate this point to you using Twitter, for example, I would be faced with the challenge of how to do so in 140 characters. I would therefore suggest that one of the strengths of Virtually Human is in reminding Christians that the Internet shapes us, not absolutely, but often subtly and powerfully.
Yours in 1,020 printed characters,
