Hyper Attention and the Rise of the Antinarrative: Reconsidering the Future of Narrativity

Authors

  • Ellen Rose University of New Brunswick

Abstract

An unchallenged certainty often expressed in narratology discourse is that narrative, as a defining aspect of humanity, will remain fundamentally untouched by the emergence of new technologies. This essay challenges that assumption by considering the consequences for narrativity of the increasingly prevalent phenomenon of hyper attention, which appears to be related to online computer use. Specifically, this paper suggests that the emergent cognitive style of hyper attention is linked to both a declining ability and willingness to engage with traditional narrative structures and the rise of the antinarrative, a nonform that eschews such conventions as plot, character development, and resolution.

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Published

2012-08-02

How to Cite

Rose, E. (2012). Hyper Attention and the Rise of the Antinarrative: Reconsidering the Future of Narrativity. Narrative Works, 2(2). Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/NW/article/view/20173

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2012)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright for articles published in Narrative Works is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to Narrative Works. By virtue of their appearance in this open access journal, articles are free to use, with proper attribution, in educational and other non-commercial settings.