Rodheh wrote:It's not the tech. It's the software.
I.E. it isn't your phone, it's instagram
I.E. it isn't your television, it's the superbowl
Fuck being docile, denounce these things. Pay attention to what's actually happening. I should state that technology has allowed us to actually infer a lot of what's really going on, so blame the bullshit only.
I don't think this is quite true. What you seem to be saying is that technology is always either neutral or positive on balance.
While it would be pointless to argue that any great skill or enjoyment is lost with the invention of, say, the washing machine or dishwasher, I don't think you could say the same, for example, for television, which, regardless of the programme being watched, fundamentally changes how we process information and see the world, no matter whether you are conscious of it happening.
I recommend reading 'Amusing Ourselves to Death' by Neil Postman for a better explanation of this than I can provide.
Another example and a pet bugbear of mine is satnav. I would argue that with the exception of a small number of profession and instances, reliance on satnav degrades skills such as spatial awareness and memory without providing any huge advantage.
It isn't always how we use these technologies, but sometimes the technologies themselves, the way they can infantilise us, remove motivation or responsibility to learn, without us even realising.
I'm of a generation that has experienced the before and after of portable computing, mobile phones, social media and ebooks, for example and I personally see, such as in the case of ebooks (or the move away from physical music media) a loss of a emotional and sensual experience - the smell and touch of a book or vinyl record, the album or book cover as almost a separate work of art in itself.
On another note, had I been able to retreat into texting or social media, I may not have been forced into getting over (or at least masking) my sometimes crippling shyness as a teenager. It was an uncomfortable experience and sure, people should accept us as we are, but in reality, the world is largely indifferent - it did me good to be taught that lesson.
In many cases I feel an experience or skill is sacrificed for practicality and a lot of the time I see that as a net loss.
I can go on, but I hope you see my point.
Many people's problem (and I think yours as well, but coming from a different angle) is that we seem to be blindly accepting either the technologies or the way we are 'supposed' to use them without questioning what we lose of ourselves in the process.
lmfao yeah right
