Changing the Subject audiobook cover - Art and Attention in the Internet Age

Changing the Subject

Art and Attention in the Internet Age

Sven Birkerts

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Key Takeaways from Changing the Subject

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Mind Map

Changing the Subject
The Cost of Convenience
Devalued Experiences
GPS vs. Navigation
Digital Consumption
Erosion of Internality
Loss of Self-Sufficiency
External Validation
Escaping Emotions
Cognitive Decline
Degraded Attention
Brain Stagnation
The Death of Context
Superficial Learning
Destruction of Books
Power of Printed Novels
Nourishing Inner Life
Focus and Immersion

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 6
Why does the author argue that tools like GPS and music streaming services can make life less gratifying?

Changing the Subject — Full Chapter Overview

Changing the Subject Summary & Overview

Changing the Subject (2015) takes a critical and concerned look at how the internet is affecting our lives. In these blinks, you’ll find out how our constant connection to the digital world is causing us to lose our individuality, our attention span and our intellect. Are we headed for one giant hive mind, or can we put down our phones for a moment and reconnect with our own emotions?

Who Should Listen to Changing the Subject?

  • Tech junkies addicted to their smartphones
  • Readers who are easily distracted
  • Luddites who oppose the internet revolution

About the Author: Sven Birkerts

Sven Birkets is an essayist, literary critic and champion of the importance of reading. He is the author of many books, including The Gutenberg Elegies, published in 1994, which issued an early warning about how technology could adversely affect our reading habits.

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