new ways of reading: from printed linearity to hypertexts

"The printing revolution represented a crucial point in communication history. Monotasking was a fundamental value for the printed society, and deepness was the key to shape knowledge and experience. The printed book, symbol of the printed society, pushed people toward linearity, as printed texts were conceived for a word-by-word reading. If the printed society was based on deepness and linearity, contemporary digital society fosters multitasking and challenges individual’s ability to browse following a trajectory. The hyperlink is symbol of the Internet society, and it pushes readers toward a constructive reading that does not have a preconceived path. Part of my current research focuses on how technology affects the way individuals read. What is the role of hypertext and non-linear reading in shaping the architecture of our thinking? Will the Internet have consequences on the way we structure our thoughts? The image was shot in a traditional typography in Knoxville, TN. The purpose of the picture is to represent linearity at work in a printing environment (the light bulbs, the stamps, and the shelves have a specific pre-determined direction that moves toward an apparently less structured ‘outside’)."