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THE END OF ABSENCE BOOK REVIEW

The book, The End of Absence, by Michael Harris, talks about absence.  It explores the emergence of technology and how it has affected the everyday lives of people.  It starts off talking about life before the internet.  It embellishes the absence that people used to experience resulting from life without connectivity.  The author speaks of basic tasks such as waiting for the bus as sources of this experience that he refers to as absence.  He also speaks of contemporary times where people are constantly connected to device such as phones.  These people than provide “continuous partial attention.”  This digital connection, the author argues, is a state of mind where people need to constantly feed their egos and sense of self-worth.  This state of mind relies on others who are also connected to the same network who are constantly validating their friends and acquaintances.  This modern development of online connectivity is compared to the advent of the printing press where the author attests that knowledge was organized into books and that people could build on one another’s work (Harris Michael, 2014, page 12).  In this, monopolies of knowledge (Harris Michael, 2014, page 12) were created which questioned such establishments as the Catholic church. 

The author points out that new mediums replace older ones which then makes or subjugates older mediums which is consistent with class lectures.  With consideration of the internet of things, people will leave behind absence.  The loss of lack or absence that people have been drawn away from resulting from the emergence of technology has created a world where people are inevitably attached to their devices.  The author describes the narcissism that has emerged resulting from the advent of online connectivity.  He describes his experience sitting at a bus station where he caught gaze with a teenage girl who then, “rolls her eyes, as though to say, “You wish” (Harris Michael, 2014, page 24).  This was an excellent way to display the evidence of narcissism that the youth exhibit as this is a very typical experience that many have experienced.  The authors vivid description of this incident proves that he is practical about what he describes as the loss of absence. 

Harris continues to talk about the kids and how technology is affecting them.  The iPad is apparently a sedative as well as a stimulant.  Technology has created kids that are able to multitask as they devout hours and hours into these devices.  Face-to-face communications are being replaced with phone conversations, texting and instant messaging.  The author backs up his claims that these technologies affect people causing children and youth to have less empathy but increased narcissism (Harris Michael, 2014, page 30).  These children are less able to connect and become increasingly impersonal.  This technological change has caused much cognitive dissonance (Harris Michael, 2014, page 31) because the rate at which technology are being absorbed is quite high. 

The author notes that we in society take more heed to information that we take in with the eyes rather than those taken by other senses.  He compares the production of publishing to the current technological advances in computers saying that, “what you use to interact with the world changes the way you see the world” (Harris Michael, 2014, page 35).  The development of technology according to this author allows for peoples, “brain [to be] trained in a certain direction while watching ads through digital contact lenses without his or her awareness” (Harris Michael, 2014, page 39).  Passive learning is the benefit of technological advancement.  The author questions these benefits and asks whether these children will be able to have access to absence or if parents must engineer such absence.  Technology has become addictive as people’s needs and wants are being exploited through memes as people become addicted to the validation of others.  Michael also points out that people are processing information rather than absorbing it.  Harris fears that his generation are the last daydreamers and that those born before won’t be able to understand absence as his generation knows what it’s like to live with and without the internet while those younger do not. 

The author goes a bit closer to home, here in metro Vancouver.  A very effective tactic as, what is explained in this book can literally affect anyone at any given moment.  He discusses the Amanda Todd issue.  This girl was from Port Coquitlam and she committed suicide resulting from online bullying.  The author decided to investigate through an interview with her mother.  This incident shed some light on the severity of online bullying and how internet culture is cruel.  The author backs up claims from Michigan State University that children who were bullied online become just as likely to commit suicide as those who were bullied offline.  The author describes a bond that people have with their electronic devices similar to that of a, “lover demanding a good-morning kiss” (Harris Michael, 2014, page 54) where people constantly check their social media.  This bond makes people confess things they would normally not confess to real people.  As the case with Amanda Todd. 

The question of public opinion is very important when thinking about advancements in technology.  Harris starts off by going into detail about the web encyclopedia Wikipedia. This website allows people from the internet to edit entries without adequate credential.  This causes an issue of “truth.”  People need to fact- check these sites as misinformation can be spread very quickly.  The issue of the popular vote is then called into question where the majority of Wikipedia disputes are solved by it.  Should mass agreement be fact?  This is the question that the author conveys to the reader.  A lot of the people online lack qualifications to make judgements on various subject of which include medicine.  Michael also calls into question people’s want or desire to know now.  This instinct is solved by the availability of mobile devices.  People on the internet seek to have their opinion validated rather than having a valid opinion (Harris Michael, 2014, page 81).  Companies are searching for positive buzz through these websites.  Public consensus is what the future is according to the author. 

Harris details algorithms which shelter the user to his or her own preferences.  Everything on the internet, through these algorithms are planned and expected as they attempt to predict user actions.  The author makes it known that, “the brightest moments of human discovery are those unplanned and random instants.”  These websites have developed mass user bases which then create reviews to generate buzz all without pay.  Through this public opinion is generated.  The author speaks of mob opinions rather than singular voices which then destroys the culture of society (page 88). 

At some point in the book Michael goes through several weeks of reading the book War and Peace.  Him going and reading this book while I was reading his book creates an interesting kaleidoscope effect that is rather relatable as one goes through his book.  His read through is filled with his constant need for distraction.  He describes such distraction using a term coined by B.F. Skinner, operant conditioning.  This is basically a term used to explain that people are doing activity and if it produces a positive result, people are more likely to repeat it (Harris Michael, 2014, page 114).  He talks about how his attention span has been reduced due to modern technology such as screens which flicker and results in deficit disorders.  Also multitasking is called into question wherein what people refer to as, “multitasking” is actually, “multiswitching.”  This means that people just divert their attention to do another task.  This so called multitasking actually causes less productivity and more time for the brain to refocus which I felt was an interesting revelation.  This has evidently caused a culture of distraction as the author claims, which he then backs with statistics from National Endowment for the Arts that claims that reading comprehension is eroding, and that these declines have serious implications.

Harris continues to talk about how memory becomes fragmented resulting from digital distraction.  The author laments the absence necessary to be able to have time for one to reflect on their memories.  The phone acts as a secretary that gives digital cues (Harris Michael, 2014, page 140).  The internet has allowed people to learn fewer facts since information is always available.  Research is suggesting that people remember fewer facts in the modern world.  Since information can be instantly retrieved online, this allows people to take advantage of daydreaming or brainstorming (Harris Michael, 2014, page 142).  The author questions the dependence on technology which research suggest that people will recall where information is kept rather than the actual information.  This access to the internet and other technology allows people to declutter their minds.  People become more selective of what is worthy of their memory.  The author had a very interesting way to show this in action.  He suggested that the reader had to remember a word.  This word was, “Inglenook.”  He used this word to explain very thoroughly how the brain registers information.  Through this, I felt that his use of repetition allowed me to be able to effectively learn and memorize the word as he was explaining the process.  Very powerful technique indeed. 

Based on the techniques used in the book, namely the kaleidoscope effect and the use of the word, “Inglenook,” it is safe to say that Michael Harris used effective means to convey his message to the reader.  I was very impressed about his witty use of everyday language which made the book very relatable.  Harris also back up his statements whenever he got the opportunity to do so, often using credible sources to prove a point.  Through this book, the reader will go into a journey of knowing wherein he or she will come to understand the effects technological advancement.  The author’s takes the reader with him in his mundane everyday life to find meaning in the current field of technology.  In this, the reader will come to understand why it is his generation that may perhaps be the last to experience absence.  With all consideration in mind, I give this book a 4 of 5 on the rating scale as I agree with the claims that he is making. 

 

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