07 February 2010

ELECTRONIFIED LIFEWORLD

I have accused teen daughter Sanjina of living in an electronic cocoon. Her typical answer to any question from me is to say, "Huh?" Then she has to remove her earplugs and I repeat the question.


To be fair, though, we all live in a media-rich environment and a mediatized society. As I write this, I'm listening to NPR and the show, To the Best of Our Knowledge, today about a novel with Prophet Muhammad's third wife, who traditionally but probably mistakenly was thought to have been nine-years-old at the time of marriage, as narrator. This is followed by Garrison Keillor reading someone's poetry. Even the poetry I'm exposed to is electronic! I'll soon read some news online and later go to gym so I can simultaneously exercise and watch some Super Bowl.


I'm definitely "electronified," too (I coined this word), so perhaps I should get over my frustration with Sanjina's usual Huh? answer. When I was a teen, I'd hear from another room my mother's voice, "Please, turn down the radio!" She must not have appreciated the artistry of Paul Revere and the Raiders or the Animals or, earlier, the Everly Brothers or Gene Vincent and the Topcats. Seems that the rock-n-rolled, electronified teen is still with us. Huh? What d'ya say?

No comments: