Reading 1 Response to "Death to Postmodernism and Beyond"

After reading this article by Dr. Alan Kirby I learned that he argues that postmodernism has been replaced by pseudo-modernism. He argues this because postmodernism starts to feel outdated because it does not connect to modern day culture that involves todays technology and our social reality.

He also says it was a slow shift between modernism and post modernism because because things such as new technologies "re-structered [...] the nature if the author, the reader and the text, and the relationships between them." I think this is interesting because it shows how big of an impact technology made upon literature. People expected different things and so authors had to shift their ways of thinking.

Eventually when pseudo-modernism became the new successor of postmodernism. It is "all television or radio programs or parts of programs , all 'texts,' whose content and dynamics are invented or directed by the participating viewer or listener with their passivity and emphasis on reception."

All this being said, the shift from modernism all the way to pseudo-modernism shows how readers want something more engaging. Typically pseudo-modern texts only take a brief while to read, this shows how the attention spans of readers and shortening, leaving authors with a smaller amount of text to make the reader happy. It also shows how readers need instant gratification rather than reading a longer deeper text for appreciation.

Last thing to be said, generations have been divided with this shift. Older generations still value modernism with its longer and more depth filled text while the younger generations value shorter reads or videos that take one click. The difference being that one generation can read more without getting bored and the other younger is embracing new forms.