Lower Than Low
Thank you to Henry Jenkins for pulling the race card when discussing the internet. You have sunk to a new low.
Jenkins says early internet users "desperately wanted a place where they didn't have to think about, look at or talk about racial differences."
We did?
I never asked for that. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that racial differences are the furthest thing on my mind when I access the internet.
A comparable analogy, in my mind, is The Washington Post. Most of us read this paper daily, but rarely do we ever look at the bylines of the reporters. When I do glance at the bylines, I do not try to figure out an author's race. I don't care about an author's race in the same way I don't care if they are male or female. It doesn't matter and it shouldn't matter.
The internet is colorblind, even if some members of our society sadly are not.
Unfortunately, we live in a time when people are seeking to divide us into different groups politically, socially, and demographically. One of my favorite sayings says: "They need a divided America. We don't." Call me an idealist, but I think we should focus on the ways in which we are alike, not different.
Jenkins and his friends can go discuss race on the internet, but for the vast majority of Americans this is a non-issue.
And in my opinion, it should stay that way.
4 Comments:
Great post! I completely agree with your analysis of Jenkins' article.
I think his position reveals yet another generation gap in America. Race was a problem for the baby boomers and generation x; but us generation next-ers are truly color blind. And I'm not saying racism does not exist, because it does and many people still suffer because of it. But I believe people have come to value other people's backgrounds, creeds and nationalities far more in recent years.
Especially on the internet, people seek out non-like minded people in an attempt to discuss major issues encompassing all aspects of human life.
I believe Jenkins' analysis of the internet being a haven for equality is a bit misguided. It's not that we're all trying to avoid talking about race; it's just that we have grown tired of that conversation!
I am a big supporter of your rhetoric. It shouldn't matter what the ethnicity of the author is when reading the paper or browsing news on the internet. We should focus more on what unites us (which is far more that what divides us) and not on our difference. Well said.
I posted about this topic as well, because I feel very similarly to you. I love that technology has enabled a more color-blind society. I think our generation is more color blind in general, and it's our parents generation that may struggle a bit more with not knowing a person's identity online. Most often if a person's race influences their commentary it is either obvious or acknowledged. Hopefully race will continue being less and less of an issue in the future.
I completely disagree. I think it's absolutely simplistic to say that our generation is colorblind. If what you mean is that our generation does not discriminate based on race, I think you're absolutely wrong. And even if we were colorblind, according to some metric, why is that a good thing?
I think Jenkins is right when he says that the Internet is not colorblind so much as homogeneous. When you read something by a blogger, you may not consciously be thinking about race, gender, or class... but subconsciously, are you assuming anything about the author? You may reply vehemently that you are not, but then my follow-up question is, "Well, shouldn't you?"
Race is important. Class is important. Gender is important. Why should we blur these things online? Why not instead use the Internet as a place to celebrate the different places from which we come, and to better understand one another's backgrounds... rather than glossing over our differences in the hope that conformity or homogeneity will cure our problems?
We should definitely focus on the ways in which we are alike, and we should remember our shared humanity and shared goals... but not at the expense of forgetting who we are.
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