Absent Presence

When I took typing in high school, I could never have imagined that such a quasi-scholarly activity would eventually become a threat to learning, never mind a sometimes lethal pursuit. After all,typing class and driving class were in different parts of the building, and we never thought of doing both at the same time.

Of course, in 1979 a typewriter weighed more than a bowling ball and was just as smart. It had no information, aside from what we were putting in it ourselves, and that remained only until we got to the bottom of  a page. So we could not be distracted by a typewriter.

Of course, "typing" on a phone, tablet, or laptop is now a completely different activity, because it creates instantaneous connections to other people, information, or entertainment. The quantity of connections is vast, and the ability to switch from one to another to another is instantaneous.