Are we turning into a sound bite society?

Question

If so, what are the consequences? If one reads letters from common folk in generations past, they were generally more articulate than those of college graduates today. Is this cause for concern or is the need for written communication antiquated?

Answer 1

Much to my chagrin the answer is a resounding yes; we are turning into a society who articulates itself in sound bites. Just a casual perusal of MTV, most forms of popular entertainment, and even the news, and you can pretty much see a tangible demonstration of the diminishing art of conversation. Terse statements accompanied by vivid imagery are trumping elaborate and detailed rhetoric. Anyone who bothers reading a newspaper dated 50 years ago, and compares it to the average newspaper today, will see the great disparity that exists between the quality of prose today, and what it was in a prior generation. I recently rented a video called “Good Night, Good Luck” about a revolutionary anchorman name Edward R. Murrow whose editorials were instrumental in taking down Joseph McCarthy. The film had monologues and debates taken straight from the CBS News broadcasts of that era, and the level of sophistication with respect to his speech, compared to the news anchors of today, is tremendous.

You see this lack of in depth analysis and refusal to expand upon a topic in almost every venue of expression. The musicians (using the term loosely for rap “artists”) now abbreviate words without respect to whether it is proper to do so, kids write text messages back to each other that are hardly discernable, and even our politicians no longer see it as necessary to argue a point at length. The picture nowadays is not only worth a thousand words, it’s worth the entire English language.

The ramifications are staggering in my view, because the ability to articulate thoughts at length is inextricably linked with the ability to think out problems on a profound level. When real exchanges of ideas through words are supplanted by flashy imagery and trite expressions, the mind, like an unused muscle, begins to atrophy as well. As a result our critical thinking processes begin to diminish rapidly, thus leaving us open to manipulation by the media and our politicians. In other words it’s a perfect world for men like Bush to rise to power, because the typical American mind has been enfeebled to the point that it is ripe to accept any tripe as plausible.

I truly long for the days when politicians could speak like Patrick Henry and write like Thomas Paine. I yearn for an era when news commentators could enamor the mind with inspirational editorials like Edward R. Murrow did. I wish musicians today could weave words with such mastery as to inspire man to his highest ideal the way John Lennon or Cat Stevens used to.

The Bible has a verse which states : “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1). Irrespective of your views of Christianity, I think the distinctive trait of humans is our ability to communicate effectively, and if you are a spiritual person, than you will also agree with the first chapter of the Gospel of John that the “Word” has a divine character to it. Once we debase the value of the “Word” we are in essence killing off a divine aspect of ourselves. Degradation of the word is degradation of the human spirit.

The truth is written communication, and well articulated verbal communication is being marginalized. We must ensure that it does not die out completely.

Answer 2

You are quite correct, it is a reason for concern. The written communication isn't antiquated ... yet. Thinking about the longterm, I guess with more and cheaper broadband will result in less written material, but I don't think it will disappear because it is still the easiest way to express ones ideas.

Answer 3

Turning into? More like have been for years. People do not want to be bothered anymore with having to hear both (or all) sides of the story and forming their own opinions. They just take it for granted that Katie Couric knows best, and that she must be telling them the whole truth.

Written communication is extremely important in the writing of history, in the study of society, and for anthropologists. We no longer have the ability, as a culture, to write our feelings and thoughts on paper in complete and coherent sentences. Future anthropologists are going to think that we had forsaken education. Blogs may be the only records of our society that are left for future generations. That, to me, is scary.

Answer 4

Turning! I think you're about 100 years behind the times. Maybe 500 years behind the times!

Answer 5

Happened a long time ago.

I'll bet most people only read teh top line of your question (the "sound bite") and not the details.

Answer 6

wonderful question.
a passionate yes from me.