Imploding

Imagine a world where students learned the basics of how to read and how to write in elementary school.

Imagine a world where students were not asked, even if they were able, to continue to read or write at an appropriate grade level once they reached middle school and high school.

Imagine a world where instead of reading literature in high school, students would read summaries of books, and then they would supplement their "reading" with commercial film adaptations of books.

Imagine a world where students who were admitted to college were unable to read or write at a high enough level to do college work.

Imagine a world where instead of reading books as adults, people (who were not visually impaired) would listen to books read to them by machines. They would be read by well-known actors, and sometimes even by the authors themselves. People would listen to them while driving, while walking, while eating, and while exercising.

Imagine a world where the very thought of actually reading a book with your own voice in your head would be more difficult than having someone else read it to you by way of a machine.

Imagine if you simply stopped reading books entirely.

Imagine, after years and years of this, how narrow your world might become, and how dependent on a machine and an industry that makes products to play on it you would become.

Imagine a world where children sang songs, and students learned the basics of how to read and play (or sing) music in elementary school.

Imagine a world where students who enjoyed music had their school district's music programs eliminated from the curriculum, so whatever skills they might have developed would be forgotten. Those students would also get a message that music skills and musical knowledge do not matter.

Imagine a world where this doesn't seem to bother most of the parents and most of the administrators.

Imagine a world where instead of playing music and singing music with your friends and family, or hearing people play music at home or in concerts, you only listen to music played by other people by way of machines. This music would be played and sung by well-known musicians, and sometimes even by the composers themselves. The music-playing devices would becomes so small and so flexible that it would be possible to have a recording of any piece of music instantly available at the touch of a button, and a person could listen to music while driving, while walking, while eating, and while exercising.

Imagine a world where the very thought of playing or singing with your own voice would be too difficult because you forgot what you might have learned when you were a child, and imagine that you didn't know anyone who even played or sang, so the only music you heard came to you through electronic devices.

Imagine if it were unremarkable to have recorded music being played at important ceremonies like weddings (and inaugurations).

Imagine, after years and years of this, how narrow your world might become, and how dependent on a machine and an industry that makes products to play on its devices you, and everyone you knew, would become.