“Touchscreen” – Marshall Davis Jones

“Touchscreen”

Poetry, as most people already know, can be a powerful form of expression. However, sometimes, one of the most important aspect of a poetry performance are not the words themselves. Rather, it is the way the performance is delivered to the audience. That can often create a far more powerful impact than simply reciting words. Think of the performance aspect as a poet’s props. Not only does it enhance the quality of the show but it also brings the poem to life. One of my all time favorite poems (definitely top 5) is this performance of “Touchscreen” by Marshall Davis Jones. It touches on a number of issues that the prolificness of technology has created in our daily interactions with people. A few days ago, Jonathan Safran Foer wrote this Op-Ed for the New York Times describing how our reliance on technology may be compromising our ability to empathize or even establish connections with others. As we start craving the iSpeed provided by our iDevices, we cease to want to understand things that require time and thought–mainly, human emotions. Think about it: how often do we simply use an emoticon or “happy” to describe feelings ranging from content to euphoria? It is frightening to have to admit that technology may be changing our very humanity–for better or possibly, for worse.