UPenn Offers A Course Called “Wasting Time On The Internet”

Dan Regester11 years ago

Whether we’re on our laptops or phones, as a generation, we mindlessly scroll for hours through timelines, feeds, videos, and photos with no real purpose but to fuck around and kill time. We’re all guilty of it. I mean, you’re doing it now by reading this article, probably ignoring your professor’s lecture. Ironically, now you can get class credit for mindlessly surfing the web at an Ivy League school. That’s right–students at the University of Pennsylvania can now take ENGL 111.301, named Wasting Time on the Internet.

From VICE:

Goldsmith [the professor teaching the course] says that for much of the 20th century, artists and writers spent an incredible amount of time and energy trying to tap into their subconscious minds, looking for new ways to create surreal works. With our daily use of the internet, we may have—subconsciously, it turns out—found a way to do that rather easily.

“We’re trying to wrench an artistic product out of that state of distraction that’s naturally created by talking on the phone with someone and surfing the internet at the same time, or by watching a video and chatting,” he said. “That’s the desired state in the class—even half being there is too generous. I want their attention across tablets, phones, screens, music. I want it divided many, many times.”

Honestly, it sounds like the professor is cutting out the teaching bullshit altogether, and instead, he’s just letting his students do what they normally would in other classes: dick around on the internet until it’s time to go. Ingenious.

I am, however, interested in seeing what artistic creation you can get from the likes of a Rick Ross Pandora station, photo of an oversized sororstitute in a bikini she has no right to wear, and an early season Philadelphia Phillies report. When combined, I’m sure that’s some truly sick, sadistic shit..

[via VICE]

Image via UPenn