Into the Electronic Millennium Essay

The essay Into the Electronic Millennium Essay by Sven Birkerts is a critique of electronic media. In his article, which was included in a popular literary collection in 1994, Birkerts laments the consequences of embracing new technology to society. Birkerts foresees the slow death of print culture in the wake of fickle developments in electronic media, as a means of communication. He argues that the dire transition into new technology, such as television and computers, is overwhelming and compares it to the demise of oral culture that was replaced by the written word (Birkerts 1). He applies his knowledge of literature with a touch of informed reasoning and calm style in his analysis to persuade the skeptical reader on this stern reality. Although critics have frequently challenged his biased outlook on the subject, the questions surrounding the effects of electronic media on the society persist. This paper evaluates the arguments, ramifications, and limitations of Birkerts’s frame of mind.
Birkert’s first argument centers on the effects of electronic media on language erosion. He argues that electronic communications will radically change the use of language. This altercation will occur on all levels of society because the complexities of language enshrined in the print media will be replaced by simpler and less interesting language of electronic media (Birkerts 1). Consequently, this simplification of language will affect students’ curricula as they will not have int…