originally published 1/1/2003

In this interview from Volume 59 of the Journal, Todd Gitlin discusses the effects of media saturation on our mental and emotional lives. Sensory overload from media bombardment leads to an ongoing experience of shallowness, as we get habituated to having our emotions and mental states change frequently. Gitlin argues that we simultaneously resent and crave this experience, and that it ultimately cheapens our lives. He also links the growth of a general cynicism to this phenomenon of media saturation, noting how it manifests in a blasé attitude and conversation full of snappy dialogue rather than thoughtful responses. Gitlin is the author of Media Unlimited: How the Torrent of Images and Sounds Overwhelms Our Lives (Picador, 2007).

14 minutes

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