So what's an effective response? We cannot force being to change— everything that occurs from here on out will be a sort of positive feedback loop in reaction to technology—for example, when it becomes the case as it is now, that people spend more time with their computer than with other humans, perhaps this is an explicit indication that human to human relationships are debased in favor human-machine relationships. Will this bring about a new level of consciousness? This has many implications, not least of all that “we could turn ourselves into monsters, not happier humans.” This suggests that happiness is the goal of humans, but is it? Is isolation, or the construction of an individual world for each person, the new end of humanity? Computers listen to and remember everything we say and never tell us we're wrong or annoy us with their own views. Also, if it breaks, you can get a new one that's even prettier and smarter than your old one.
All techno-fetishism aside, I have to admit that sitting here in the library, I check my email/blog/whatever else for some sense of connectivity with the outside world, but especially a connection with other people. I don't necessarily want to read the news, I want someone to have contacted me. So that even hooked up to this machine, (literally) I can still communicate with other humans. But I still wouldn't think of talking to the person at the computer next to me. I'd rather get an email from someone 3,000 miles away. And, I'd rather search for that other ear than sit here and type a paper into the grand canyon. So is this technology good then? Perhaps its the opposite of isolating, and instead a source of real connection between people.Also, have you heard about this? Great, so kids in developing countries can have cheap laptops. These are kids who might not get dinner or an education after they reach 9 years old. I think this is a perfect example of 1) our sense of self as personal Jesus to the "developing world" and 2) technology as God. What is this if not mission work? Basically, what the fuck. Sure, these kids can learn to type and go on the internet. Sweet. Soon the world will be fully virtual and everyone can hole up with their computers. It would be really fun and satisfying to watch this project completely fall apart and some douchey billionaire lose all of his money if it wasn't guaranteed to take so many small communities with it.
.e
4 comments:
all I can say is: TOTALLY.
My friend came to visit me in France and brought her Blackberry. I think she spent more time talking to her friends in Philadelphia than to me, who was right in front of her, and could look her in the eye!
Also, the only fights I have gotten in with people have been virtual! Usually cuased by miscommunication because we couldn't understand tone. (Was that sarcasm or is she really pissed?)
But once again, I'm sure we'll adapt. Figure out a way to adequetely communicate in this unreal world. Scary.
-Pename
Imagine the potential that could be unlocked by giving every child in the world a goddamn hug.
I think you're totally right that this is missionary work...imposing our culture and belief in the revolutionary technology as the end-all be-all to life, liberty and that damn pursuit of happiness.
Doing this shows that we believe that the other's culture is less than ours; that it needs to change. America's ego is so big that i think we feel like if we're not getting anything from anywhere else, it must be because they don't have anything. What i've learned is that American culture is the least familial and collective...we're all number one and we look out for ourselves.
The line between sharing and imposing is not a thin one.
I think this is also going to boost the optometry field...then kids will be starving AND have headaches from not wearing proper vision correction.
mrr
i think that there is no need for adaption to technology. As much as I love this blog, none of this shit is permenant. Nothing is hardcopy anymore and it is a real tragedy that we've lost so much of our physical relationship with the world. No wonder physical relationships with other people have become so stressful. When was the last time you wrote a letter? GOT a letter? printed out photos? hand wrote a paper? When did all this become so rudimentary? The reason I see an end to all this is that there is an essential need for humans to have thier hands directly in shit, this removal from reality will have a backlash...people are going to start writing letters again. mark my mechanized words.~xate
yeah, i see humanity ending in one of two ways (in the next 20 years):
1. we become our machines, no longer communicate with each other, while the outside world crumbles around us
or
2. the demand for such useless "necessities" slowly but surely outstrips the resource capacity to produce them. And we don't realize this until it's too late. Like what's going on right now.
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