Chapter 4 with a modern example

I liked the idea about rewriting a Postman chapter with modern examples, so I wrote a miniature version of Chapter 4: The Typographic Mind.

As media changes, so too does our perception of knowledge.  While people were once able to sit and listen to long speeches, that skill set is long lost because fast transference of information requires brevity.  As a young child, I loved receiving snail-mail (and still do), but it isn’t likely that any such mail should arrive at my house on a daily basis.  People have transferred to texting.  No one writes “dear, …” at the beginning of the letter and all the filler about hoping to see the recipient soon has been dropped.  “Where r u?” is a text.  “What was hw?” is a text. 

New media is a double-edged sword.  There are the clear negatives, which Postman has aptly demonstrated, but I think there is a really positive aspect to brevity.  Throughout history people with time have been able to innovate - the Renaissance is a clear example.  Well, perhaps if we do not spend time writing addresses and searching for postage stamps we can think about the world in a way we never have before.  Perhaps if we do not spend ten minutes driving to the post office we could innovate and improve society.  While “r” doesn’t carry the same respect as “are”, maybe it’s for the better.