Book In The Age Of Internet

As I ensconce myself in a chair with a computer on a table, a fleet of tweets is emitted on screen. Among the slew of tweets, one reads, "Now Available, 'Non-Human Rights: Critical Perspectives', Edited by Alexis Alvarez-Nakagawa and Costas Douzinas". As the title suggests, the book may be about the rights of an object—a lifeless object of the modern world, the 'robot'—that's threatening us by seizing opportunities and rendering us useless. I did not rummage through it much. But it evidently prodded me to add something more to my today's musings about the issues that are drawing global attention when information technology (IT) has overwhelmed humanity. A number of studies are on the rise, and policy papers, journal articles, and books have been written on such peculiar but increasingly prevailing issues as robots.

Yes, today I am writing with a focus on 'book and beyond', in the wake of emerging IT, which has disrupted most aspects of human life. The write-up may sound more musing than a feature, or the blend as well. More than half of the world's population is connected to the internet. It is indeed a hyper-connected age. Oodles of information drown us daily if we use our smartphones. You have a smartphone; your spouse has one; your children have one; and everyone in your community may have one. It is the boon—the bliss caused by the unprecedented advancement in IT in recent decades. Irrespective of the quality, the expansion of IT infrastructure has reached the internet in many parts of Nepal as well. For some, the internet is 'Facebook'; for others, it is 'YouTube'; and for some, it is 'TikTok'. Whatever name you give, it is the internet.

From communication to education, and from business to entertainment, the 'invisible thing inside a smartphone'—the internet—has replaced that one-eyed monster, the one that was once an essential growl at everyone's house. Don't bother with the phrase 'invisible thing inside a smartphone." It is the definition given by my uncles to the 'internet' when I talked to them about the classic gadgets, such as radio, camera, and TV, during my last visit to my hometown. Some other rural folks had defined 'internet' in their own ways: 'Facebook', 'TikTok', 'YouTube', etc. Damn care about the science of how this thing functions, but be clear about how quickly and understandably it is communicated to each other. I appreciated it. Great!

The 'chautara gaf'—chit chat at a public place—does not stop for at least an hour. And how about the books? 'They are mere sordid bundles of paper gathering dust somewhere in a corner, a good feed to cockroaches,' we all joshed in response to one of the mid-40 fellows as answering so. He is busy swiping the screen, so there is no time for further explanation.

Of course, whether it is my village or yours, or the cities of ours or others, the radio and TV are gradually becoming the status of 'classic communication devices'. And isn't it weird and unconventional to talk about books? Arguments abound on whether books bear significance at present, where information is on everyone's finger's tip.

The digital gadgets are not only easing but also pleasing us. The journey from easing to pleasing has come a long way from the first industrial revolution to the fourth industrial revolution. The blood in the smartphone and the internet is, however, the defining feature of the third industrial revolution, while digitization and digitalization are spurts of the fourth industrial revolution.

See how the revolution in IT makes a trans-border presence possible in no time. A voracious reader from Nepal visits the distant UK and American libraries, attends a-grade university lectures, and shares Nepal's knowledge with the world all the way from a Kathmandu closet or the suburbs—all virtually. A grandson in Australia is seen with grandparents' or parents' Tiktok in Nepal.

Instant gratification

It is the age of instant gratification. Whether it is the lecture from university teachers on your computer screen or the 'Like', 'Love', 'Wow' comments, sharing, and re-posting, you're happy that you got the information, knowledge, and appreciation in no time. Those days of technologies facilitating and easing human efficiency at work are now topped with the pleasure ensured by a wink of an eye. Remember the backbreaking jobs humans did before ushering the world into the first industrial revolution, and compare the present, where we are glued to palm-size screens on cosy sofas or curled into quilts and asking friends, "How cold is the snowy season in Europe or the US? But it is really cold here this time." 

Moreover, artificial intelligence, which you can term 'hijacked intelligence of humans, is further creating everything you need—text and video. Be a poet, play music, and write a drama in no time. It is not sure if it is a horror or a savior. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are already prowling our digital town. 

And why turn the pages of the timber-turned thin plates bound with prints of scripts, mostly black? Let them be cached and finely arrayed on the rack. More than gathering dust, cockroaches can feed, breed, and waste.

Shed off hallucinations

Shed off the hallucination! Humans need books—the books that brought us to this stage, the books that taught us the civilisations, and the books that fought the evils to save humanity. Still, millions of books are beyond the internet, the invisible thing on your smartphone, while billions of others will be written and read. The book is about the knowledge instinct that caused earlier revolutions. Vanishing books means vanishing human thoughts. Is it that easy and quick? Mediums galore, books are still on top.

Rewind now; the issue of non-human rights is emerging with the emergence of non-human things. By the way, who are non-humans? And how can those speaking like humans and walking like humans be non-human? And do they deserve it? Yes, once you switch them, they deserve respect and rights. Initially taken by surprise, it is highly likely to intensify in the days ahead. My next read will be the books on robots and AI. What's the genre that sways you these days?

(Ghimire is associated with the National News Agency.)