Symposihmm 💬 The New Orality

In recent years, concerns over social media’s impact on cognitive abilities has been growing. While it’s very hard to prove a direct causal link with online platforms, studies have show that since the early-to-mid-2010s, literacy and abilities like reasoning and problem solving have been declining.

In tandem with this measured decline in literacy we see the theory that social media, or short-form video content, is ushering in a new age of orality gaining popularity. During the first oral era, before the invention of the written word and widespread literacy, the main way of sharing information was verbally. The switch to a literate culture is thought to not only have changed our relation with information, but even to have reshaped our consciousness. Now, with contemporary social media, some theorists speculate that we’re in a second oral age, where the characteristics of verbal communication are returning as the primary mode of transferring information within our network of online platforms.

With the Symposihmm: The New Orality we want to explore this pivotal moment. Are online platforms chipping away at our ability to read and understand? Are we entering a new oral age, and what are the implications of this? Are there fruitful ways to push back against this shift, or should we be searching for more meaningful ways to make sense of these new modalities so we can navigate our way through them?

📋 Program 13.30–14.45

• Welcome and introduction
• Talk by Elise Swart on literacy and online platforms
• Talk by Kevin Munger on the new orality

15.00–16.15

• Workshop “Make Your Own Slobject” by Maria Mombers
• “Video Exchange Trading Spawner Dopamine Hitting Point” by Max
• More TBA

16.30–18.00

• Talk by Reginold Royston on podcasting, new orality and the African mediascape
• More TBA

Performance by Jonas Lund throughout the day

Please note that the activities and performance will only take place onsite and won’t be broadcast on our livestream. Upon arrival at Tolhuistuin you can sign up for one of the activities on a first-come-first-served basis.

📅 Date: Saturday 16 May 🕗 Time: 13.30 – 18.00 CEST 📍 Location: Tolhuistuin and livestream on The Inbetween 🎟️ Tickets: Onsite €27,50/Student €20/Livestream 7,50

♿ Accessibility notes The IJzaal at Tolhuistuin is wheelchair accessible and there’s an accessible restroom available as well. Find more info on their website. During the event we can provide live closed captioning for those with hearing impairments and disabilities. Please reach out to us via info@thehmm.nl, at least 3 days before the event if possible, if you are joining on-site and have this access need, so that we can reserve a seat for you within view of the screen with captions. If you are joining online via our livestream, live captioning will be available as one of the streaming modes.

🩵 This programme is kindly supported by the Creative Industries Fund NL and hosted by Tolhuistuin.