Epigenesis: consequences of an adverse childhood

Abstract

In this paper, a criticism is raised about the excessive noise in societies in the era of information and communication technologies (ICT). In order to do so, an extension of the noise concept is proposed, which allows to include in it the excess of information propitiated by the omnipotent reach of ICT, as well as a revaluation of silence, that allows it to be configured as a condition of free thinking. In views of reaching such conceptual extensions, José Gimeno and Paul Virilio are used to delineate the profiles of the relationship between ICT and everyday life, which shows how the growing dependence and influence of technology is an increasingly dominant feature of society that enables excessive, incessant communication and information, inserted in life and that refuses to leave us alone for a moment. Subsequently, to rethink the relationship between noise and silence, we employ the ideas of musician and philosopher John Cage and Friedrich Nietzsche. With their help, a relationship is established between silence and thought. Finally, referring to the concept of control society by Hardt and Negri in Empire, we propose that the aforementioned noise that characterizes contemporary societies can be seen as another mode of social and political control.

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