Analysis Of Head In The Sand By David Foer

Head in the Phone- Head in the Sand The advent of interconnectivity and the dawn of the mobile age within technology was a monumental step in the growth and evolution of humanity. It is easier today than ever to make contact with other humans, but does accessibility necessarily equal connection? Is the adolescent of today, who sends hundreds of messages per week, necessarily more emotionally connected to others than his elder counter parts? Mobile communications technology was invented to allow people to communicate remotely with the assumption that face to face contact would always be a superior alternative; however, when face to face contact became inconvenient, remote communication became the new standard. It has become more common for
Early in his address to Middlebury College, Foer jokingly remarks, “I never saw my mother’s face until I entered puberty and was too gross to be photographed.” Foer’s comment, fitting with his well-established and self-depreciating sense of humor, gives penetrating insight into his attitude towards our interconnected technological society. Foer describes technology in this case as an obstruction to connection with his mother- instead of feeling the warm gaze of another human, Foer experiences the flashing lights of a camera. The more personal connection between Foer and his mother is robbed of its humanity as technology acts as a sort of intermediary between the mother and son. Though Foer’s comment has a generally comedic tone, the underlying implications are evident. The camera invades Foer’s youth and strips him of his early memories of his mother- Foer, looks back on his childhood and remembers not the humanity of his mother’s proud face, but the absurd presence of
By attempting to numerically define human connection, technology reaps its users of the very human emotions that make connections worthwhile. In his address to Middlebury, Foer states, “I’m convinced that novels are the most intimate art form, capable of inspiring the deepest emotional experience. This is largely because how much room they allow for the reader to personalize them. When a tree is in a film, everyone in the theatre sees the same tree.” Foer relates a great sense of appreciation for written text because it is left ambiguous; there is nuance and room for interpretation. Foer’s sentiments on the significance of the undefined highlight the destructive nature of technology’s attempts to clearly define everything. When a relationship becomes defined by ones and zeros rather than dynamic and ambiguous emotion, the connection becomes devalued. Just as a novel inspires “the deepest emotional experience” because it there is room for interpretation, a face to face interaction does the same. A follower count and other attempts to define significance of connection online diminish connection because there is no nuance- there is no room for interpretation or emotion, and without emotion, there is no connection. Foer continues to relay this sentiment, remarking, “If a memory can be retained forever, captured in a string of ones and zeroes,