An Interesting Discussion with Twenty-Somethings

Last night at Paradigm, a gathering of twenty-somethings, some of our discussion about our personalities and behavioral blends centered around a quote from Rex Miller's book.

"Our communication tools have changed over time: from spoken word, to written word, to broadcast-image word, to digital multimedia word. With each change has come a new and different way of seeing the world." (Rex Miller, The Millenium Matrix, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 15.)

The bottom line of all our discussion was this. Regardless the form of communication we are now using daily (text messaging, IM, MySpace, email, etc.), we all still have an inner desire and hunger for face to face time; where we can see, touch, feel, and hear one another; where all our senses are being used.

What I did not quote at our talk was the rest of Miller's words following the above quote. Miller went on to say:

"Here's what happens:
*When our communication tools change, our perception changes.
*Changed perception creates changed understanding.
*Changed understanding changes our psychological makeup.
*Changed psyches change our interaction with the world (bold emphasis is mine).
*Changes in our interaction with the world change our relationsahips to one another (again bold emphasis is mine).
*Changes in our relationships leads to changes in the institutions that facilitate those relationships.
*Our psychological makeup changes, and we reshape the world in our own image." (Miller, The Millenium Matrix, 15-16)

Miller then later suggested trying this: "Imagine living in a different world where there is only verbal communication without written or recorded media" (no technology). What do you think?