Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
When we say someone is an 'informed' or 'knowledgeable' per-
son, we are pointing to their breadth and/or depth of understanding.
They are the antithesis of an 'ignorant' person. Hence we talk of
the 'informed consent' of medical patients, or of someone having an
'informed opinion'. But does life in a 'knowledge society' and an 'infor-
mation age' promise a noticeable increase in the number of informed
and knowledgeable people? The jury is most certainly out on that
question. When not at work, undertaking a typically specialised (and
often routine or mundane) job, the average Westerner today spends just
under half of their remaining non-sleep time utilising information and
communications technologies (ICTs) - notably televisions, computers,
mobile phones and other handheld devices. ICTs have undoubtedly
increased the potential for more people to understand far more about
the world in which they live than ever before. They have made possible
numerous 'social media' that both speed up and democratise the flow
of information, opinion, images, sounds and ideas (think of Facebook,
Twitter, YouTube, Wikipedia and Wikileaks to name five obvious cases).
However, critics make four counterpoints. First, they say that much
of our use of ICTs is trivial or about ourselves rather than the wider
world (e.g. texting friends on our mobiles or posting Facebook mes-
sages). Second, they argue that far too much ICT use relates to
'entertainment' or commodity consumption (e.g. viewing shopping
channels on television or gambling online). Third, they suggest that
even the 'serious' or edifying parts of television, radio and the World
Wide Web are far too 'dumbed down', conveying simplistic and selec-
tive representations of a world that is far more complex. Finally, critics
note that many people suffer from 'information overload' - they're
bombarded with images, sound bites, headlines and so on, and thereby
suffer an inability to select and integrate the most important informa-
tion. People can simply choose from a buffet of ideas, arguments and
evidence to suit their prejudices and preferences without challenging
or changing them over time.
Why are we so reliant on various groups to which we do not belong
for most of our understanding and experience of the world? Why are we
no more free to form 'our own' beliefs, values, sentiments and preferences
about things that (should) matter to us than were previous generations?
Complete the task below and see what answers you come up with.
Study Task:
Reflect back on your own experiences as (1) a school, and now
university, student; and (2) a member of the general public interested in
the world beyond your doorstep. Over your lifetime, you've learnt a lot of
things, much of it now no doubt half remembered. Your understanding of
