This interview doesn't present much of Nicholas Carr's thesis for Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google, but I'm not sure one particular nugget from this Colbert yuk-fest holds much water: "We've become so connected to everything that we're actually disconnected from any one thing."
Carr explains that the way we interact with the internet, or "World Wide Computer", impedes our ability to focus on any one thing; concentration has deteriorated into a staccato of thoughts, ideas and distractions. Meanwhile, Colbert -- in a move that brilliantly defines his "idiot" persona -- pulls out his iPhone and begins scrolling through something (presumably a webpage) and taking pictures of Carr to drive home the point: Colbert can't even concentrate on Carr long enough to finish the interview.
Okay, we've seen that guy: on the bus or in a restaurant or in the grocery store, hands flitting over his Blackberry or iPhone; equipped and ready with his Bluetooth (or "Douchetooth" as my friend Andy so cleverly coined) earpiece. But we know people like this, too: they can't focus regardless of whether they're interfacing with a hand-held device or chatting (and I mean literally) with us face-to-face.
So why is it that if I pull out my iPhone in the grocery store to check my grocery list, I'm distracted and am in need of constant stimulation as opposed to the person who pulled a crumpled note out of her pocket? It's like saying that reading NYTimes.com on my phone during a commute is different than reading the printed version. Yes, there are inherent differences between pixels and print, but I'm talking about concentration; my ability to connect with one thing: why does Carr consider me disconnected solely because I choose to interface with technology -- focused on just one thing, reading an article -- versus connected if I decide to read newsprint instead? I think there's a misconception about technology and the actual utility being derived from it for any given task.
There are also the commutes when I don't touch my phone. I sit, I listen, I experience the rhythms of the road and notice the passengers around me. Maybe I even chat with the driver. I make a conscious choice to be present on the bus.
If people are scatterbrained in a way reminiscent of how information is acquired through the WWC, it is more than just a byproduct of working with technology for too long. Computing may change our thinking habits, thought patterns and processes, but to say this causes our ability to focus to simply erode away is a dangerous oversimplification. Connectedness is a skill that requires constant, focused attention for continued development and is not necessarily only antagonized by the ability to quickly obtain information. Personally, I find my ability to be connected is honed precisely because of how I choose to use technology to acquire information.
As a side note, this is one of the better Colbert interviews I've seen in a while. That is, it reminded me of some of the first few episodes when Stephen's witticisms were still new, surprising and hilarious.
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