Sunday, May 20, 2007

I Am An American Harper's Reader

Harper's is turning out some great text recently on what it means to use technology. After reading I was a Chinese Internet Addict I ran out and bought a subscription.

The article provides a look under covers as to how others societies use the Internet. And in China, the 'net is all about obsessive release with dizzying consequences; four day jags on the computer, the guy whose back was fused into a 90 degree angle from sitting too long, the teenager that hunted down and murdered a kid who stole his virtual weapon. It is stuff like this that will scare the hell out of you.

There are smaller clues as well, like the fact that the teenage boys in the clinic (where the author is being treated) can't play team sports - no skills and no interest. I actually cut my 4 year old's time on the computer after reading this article. Follow this up with the June edition which has an Endgame analysis of the environmental situation and you will be hooked.

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