Media itself is under attack.
AI text, photo, and video tools are making it nearly impossible to distinguish at a glance between what is true, authentic, human, and what isn't. It is more important, now than ever, that we preserve the things that are unmistakably human - our physical media.
When you listen to a vinyl, you must first perform a ritual. Delicately grasp its edges, lay it down on its bed, and set the needle. Only then can it spin to life.
Reading is the same. You hold the book. You turn the page. You re-read a line that catches you.
But over time, we've lost the appetite for rituals. Why work, when there's something much easier within reach, one swipe away?
Fahrenheit 451 tells a story of a society that has collapsed under the allure of this convenience. One that has optimized the consumption of media into something shockingly similar to the modern age.
In this story, a woman has spent her life collecting the very thing this society has outlawed. She's decided to go with them rather than let a system take them away from her. And in her final moments, the lead firefighter makes a choice - a proof that it only takes one person to make all the difference. One that allows her to let go.
It is through reading stories lke Fahrenheit 451 that we understand why our physical media is so important. It is through reading stories like these that we understand the need for them to stay alive.
That's what Mark is for.
