A Wisdom Class of Workers

Televisual storytelling is so mesmerizing to our “lizard brain”, that consuming it is much like consuming drugs. It is addictive, in that no other stimulant can equally impress the senses.

That alone underscores the magnitude of the great experiment we’re participating in, being, as we are, a mere handful of generations into this novel medium and its longterm effects.

One of the effects that isn’t discussed enough, is what audio-visual storytelling has displaced.

In West Kerry, where electricity was introduced relatively late, I’ve been told by people of my own generation how when they were kids growing up, the old folks were the keepers of stories. Elders would share a story as a reward for a chore that was completed — a powerful incentive to a bored child!

This power gave the elders status, and the younger adults something to look forward to. A phase of life where they were needed, sought after, and where their long memories served a valuable purpose.

This is not to misrepresent that informal dynamic as a rigid indigenous structure — anyone could tell you that the Irish do not hold back on telling stories at any age! — but it is to highlight a missed opportunity here.

The downside to a “freedom”-based culture is that it experiences any strategic regulation based on a person’s phase of life as discriminatory, if not tyrannical. I get that. But still, I like to imagine a world where the opportunity to create and direct stories at a broadcastable scale, is something reserved for our 60+ crowd. People who’ve lived long enough to see things play out, to reflect on what they’ve internalized and how it has or hasn’t served them … a wisdom class of workers.

And, wouldn’t it give us all something to look forward to!