Books

Lee Siegel bursts the Internet’s bubble

Writer Lee Siegel has a stern warning for anyone who uses the Internet: Beware – this powerful medium is not all it’s cracked up to be

In his book, Against the Machine (Spiegel & Grau), Siegel pokes holes through some of the popular myths surrounding the Internet. He acknowledges that the Internet has the potential to enhance lives and increase productivity.

But there is a heavy price to pay for such quick and easy access to information, and it comes at the expense of personal privacy and the truth. Siegel explores this “dystopian” angle in detail in this well-written and thought-provoking book. 

He regards the Internet as a medium that loves numbers – especially big numbers. Web sites and blogs that attract millions of viewers appear to be sheltered from any type of sustained criticism or scrutiny. If it’s popular, it must be good, or so it’s assumed. 

I don’t know if I totally agree with this premise. The Internet monitors itself pretty well. When people discover something objectionable on a popular web site, they’re quick to register their criticism. Look at the “news feed” controversy that dogged Facebook.

With the absence of any prolonged criticism, the Internet has allowed the lines separating fact and fiction to become blurred. In this fast-moving digital age, consumers are asking themselves, “Is it real or is it fake?” 

Siegel cites the case of lonelygirl15, in which a teenage girl posted videos of her deprived and sheltered life on YouTube. Millions of viewers followed her every update with baited breath. 

Her videos were later discovered to be part of an elaborate hoax in an attempt to launch the girl’s acting career. Instead of being outraged, the public soon forgave this public indiscretion and shrugged it off. This begs the question: Does being real even matter? 

For Siegel, being real or unreal doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s all about Me. The Internet has become a pulpit and everyone has something to say. People post videos without any formal training in writing, editing or filmmaking. People post entries on Wikipedia without any special qualifications or credentials. People post libellous and anonymous messages on blogs that cause hurt or embarrasement to others – with no accountability or penalties for their actions. The only barrier to entry for submitting online content is a modem and a computer. 

Siegel laments this free-for-all accessibility that allows all manner of content to be posted online, content that may excite millions of viewers but which has no inherent value. “A quirk attracts attention,” Siegel writes. “Originality holds it.” 

But who says that all content has to contain inherent value. I’ve watched hundreds of funny videos on YouTube for no other reason than they’re fun to watch and share with friends (while we’re on the subject, check out David Caruso one-liners on YouTube). 

Siegel devotes an entire chapter to blogging, where he is especially critical of a technology that allows anyone to publish thoughts and opinions without any credentials, expertise or accountability. He regards much of the blogosphere as nothing more than a vast popularity contest, in which the loudest and most outrageous opinions and commentary rise to the top. 

I think Siegel’s dismissal of blogs is too broad and undeserved. Siegel was burned by bloggers who posted anonymous comments about him, and I suspect this chapter is an attempt to settle a score at a medium that indirectly led to his being temporarily suspended by the New Republic. 

Many of the world’s top blogs are produced by people who take great pains in creating original and well-written content. The best blogs are popular, because they’ve got something relevant to say to large numbers of people. 

Is some of the information posted on blogs factually wrong and irresponsible? Of course it is. Are some blogs frivolous, juvenile and biased? Of course they are. But so are newspapers and magazines. 

All newspapers and magazines worth their salt have biases, and readers are free to agree or disagree with the articles and opinions contained in them. There are left-of-centre publications, just as there are right-of-centre publications. People will read what they want to read and make up their own minds. 

Blogs are no different. There are great blogs. There are dull blogs. There are silly blogs. There are highbrow blogs. There are special interest blogs. At the end of the day, blogs that attract the most viewers will climb in the rankings – that’s the way the world works. 

If nothing else, Against the Machine is a book that provides a sober perspective on the growing popularity of the Internet. You may not agree with all of Siegel’s conclusions, but they are well worth reading.

If this book teaches you to be more critical of online content, and not to accept every new technology that flashes across your screen, then it will have served its purpose.