Renowned author Irvine Welsh, famous for his 1993 novel \\”Trainspotting,\\” voiced concerns about the impact of technology on human culture during the UK’s first-ever festival dedicated to endangered languages.
The \\”Voiced: The Festival for Endangered Languages\\” serves as a celebration of the power of language and art by putting the spotlight on endangered global and local languages. This festival featured a diverse lineup including readings, performances, panel discussions, and workshops.
Notably, on Thursday evening, Welsh treated audiences to a reading from his latest work, \\”Men in Love,\\” written in the Edinburgh dialect. Following his reading, Welsh participated in a panel titled \\”The Art of Language.\\” Here, he joined voices with poet Raymond Antrobus, whose works were interpreted in British Sign Language by Pettra St Hilaire, and Welsh singer Talulah, among others.
\\”If language is divorced from culture, it becomes a weapon of imperialism, it becomes a weapon of control, it becomes a weapon of commerce,\\” Welsh argued. \\”And it generally becomes about instruction.\\”
Welsh expressed his deep concerns about the erosion of language within modern society, which he sees as influenced heavily by technology. According to him, language risks becoming decontextualized into mere instructions and losing its cultural essence.
\\”The internet’s been a massive tool in this,\\” Welsh continued. \\”It asks things from us from the state, corporations, and from power sources. It’s not really about debate and discussion, discourse, community anymore.\\”
Despite the internet’s initial promise as a platform for open exchange, Welsh lamented that it no longer fosters true language and culture. He suggested that individuals combat this by stepping away from screens.
\\”I think people should just get out more,\\” Welsh humorously suggested. \\”And read more.\\”
He emphasized the benefits of reading, referencing the popular Netflix series \\”Adolescence\\” to showcase how genuine engagement with written works can enhance empathy and counteract the decline in human connection.
\\”It’s largely because of not reading,\\” Welsh observed. \\”People should be reading books, they should be reading stories, they should be reading novels, because these are exercises in empathy.\\”
Welsh also criticized the misconception of globalization as multiculturalism, warning that technology predominantly serves commercial purposes and can control users through algorithms.
\\”We do have to be very judicious in the use of technology and remember what technology is set up to do,\\” he cautioned. \\”We have to really get back into communities.\\”
Press notes provided before the event encapsulated Welsh’s concerns. He asserted, \\”Without language, we have no culture, and when we lose language, we lose culture,\\” further warning that society risks transforming into \\”androids of the tech age, slaves to algorithms.\\”
The \\”Voiced\\” festival continues through Saturday, inviting attendees to reflect on the importance of preserving linguistic diversity amid technological advancement.
Reporting based on the original article; quotes reproduced verbatim.
