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Friday, November 26, 2010

Readers and the Psychic Noise of the Holidays

You are outgunned on the holidays. Woe to the reader looking to dive into that novel or biography during the R and R of Turkey Fest. You will open your book against a wall of electronic sound. The new televisions are not only flat they have Surround Sound Dolby Sound Concert Levels and they literally can shake the house. During family Holiday Rama these televisions chase the reader from room to room in search of a moment of solitude. Our modern holidays have become hell on earth instead of peace on earth. There is no peace in the digital age.

Not only are the televisions chasing you down but computers weigh in with their beeps and boops and then throw in the talking kids toys and IPOD speakers and you really can't' hear yourself think. But it is the televisions that have changed our holidays for good. They rule us now. Our life is subservient to our Plasmas decked on the walls on the counters over our beds in our bathrooms and in our basements. They are literally everywhere and they run twenty four seven. Our televisions have become the extra guest we just cant get rid of and most of us don't want too.

So that leaves the lone reader with his book or kindle looking for a crevice to get a few pages under the belt. Not an easy task for the man or woman in a modern family. The modern family is wired and televised and part of Holiday Fest is Electronic Fest. Everyone is on their laptop or IPOD so you have to wonder how much real cheer is being spread between humans. It would seem the main holiday interaction is between human and cyberspace. The digital age has taken our fascination with bits and bytes to a new level where we wonder more about out next text or email than Uncle Buds Christmas toast.

So the reader has to work hard. He must stake out his territory and read quickly. I suggest the garage or the car. Maybe outside with a flashlight. A couple of pages is really a victory in this day and age.

http://www.billhazelgrove.com/
Rocket Man will be out in January

Books by William Hazelgrove