As Sherry Turkle points out in this (past) week's reading, computers undoubtedly affect the way we think. Although most of us who've grown up around computers may not give it much thought, this is an inescapable truth that ought to be understood if we hope to fully understand ourselves. According to Turkle, "Technology does not determine change, but it encourages us to take certain directions. If we make those directions clear, we can more easily exert human choice." Indeed, any feature of our environment with which we regularly interact "encourages" us to develop our minds in a certain way, so recognizing precisely how our environment affects us can help us manage the development of the human mind less arbitrarily.
That being said, I think several of Turkle's observations could be made regarding other phenomena as easily as they're made regarding the influence of computers. For example, the "culture of presentation" she mentions in her discussion of PowerPoint has been around for millennia; it's an integral part of warfare and courtship (which can be viewed similarly in virtually all animal cultures), and it's one of the main reasons for the existence of the study of rhetoric. Likewise, "epistemic opacity" is characteristic of most technological innovations, not just computers; when someone uses a camera, a telephone, a car, or even a plow, he or she can make it work without understanding how it works.
Of course, some of the points made within this article are more insightful than others. For one, computers' impact on notions of privacy can hardly be overstated. The ease with which computers allow individuals to compartmentalize and experiment with their identities is also unique (remember John Suler?). I think the most important observation, however, is the recognition of the effects of word processing. Many people seem rarely to reflect upon the true meanings of the language and structures they employ in speech and writing, and the potential speed of production that word processing allows only compounds this problem. As Turkle points out, "The idea of thinking ahead has become exotic," and as far as I can tell, that's not a trait we should want in the human mind.
"How Computers Change the Way We Think" by Sherry Turkle
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I really enjoyed the point you made about "epistemic opacity." There are so many things that fall under that category. However, it's a lot easier to use something such as the car or the plow without getting to know the mechanical workings of it, and easy is something our society values a lot, which can be unfortunate in so many ways. I also liked your connection between the "culture of presentation" to past traditions, I never really thought of it that way and found that to be rather interesting now that you mention it.
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