“Technological progress has merely provided us with more efficient means for going backwards”. – Aldous Huxley
Few would argue that the countless technological advances made over the centuries have improved and propelled the condition of mankind. Most of us no longer live a survival existence. We live longer. And we certainly know and understand more about the world and the universe we inhabit. The comforts and conveniences created have enabled us to turn our attention to increasingly higher forms of expression through Engineering, Science and the Arts.
This post addresses the rapid advancement and spread of digital technology that in just a few short years has, for good or ill, changed the very fabric of our society, while rendering most of us totally dependent upon it.
Two of the more obvious examples of this revolution are the explosion of the internet and the omnipresent smartphone.
As technology continues to advance, driven by brilliant IT scientists and engineers, the rest of humanity (which is most of us) are becoming more and more reliant upon these devices for our everyday existence.
- ATM Machines that instantly access our bank accounts
- GPS devices that tell us where we are and spoon feed us directions
- Smart – appliances that run themselves
- “Apps” that can do virtually anything and everything for us
- Non-stop entertainment through our computers, Smart-TV’s and phones
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, technology hasn’t yet developed an effortless method for physical fitness. This is likely why we are facing an epidemic of obesity in many western cultures – but that is the subject for another post.
Most if not all of these developments have significant value, but one cannot help consider that an over-reliance on technology creates a dependency which ultimately leads to a diminishing of the basic skills we once took for granted.
Man has always been trapped between his/her two natures; the first trait forged thru evolution, is a need to avoid pain and to seek comfort. But at the same time, we humans have been hardwired with the aspiration to Achieve, Accomplish, and Contribute to the collective good. These two competing sides of human nature are fundamental and self-evident. Modern technology, it appears, is extremely effective at satisfying the first, while denying us the latter.
I have written previously about Mahatma Gandhi’s “7 Things That Will Destroy Us”. Number one on his list is: “Wealth without Work”.
“Wealth without work” speaks to the basic human principle that we should earn what we have, yet advancing technology is making it harder and harder to strike a balance in that equation.
We live in a world that just few generations ago would have been considered inconceivable. With just the push of a button, or request to our “Virtual Assistant”, we can have practically anything delivered to our front door within 24 hours. We can “Google” any piece of information without ever trying to figure it out for ourselves. We can have our directions plotted and recited to us without ever looking at a map.
Despite these miraculous services, people are increasingly reporting dissatisfaction with modern life, describing themselves as “unfulfilled” in unprecedented numbers. According to recently published data by the Bureau of Business Statistics, money spent on the “self-help” industry which includes books, websites, seminars, courses, etc. is at a staggering $10 billion per year and growing
The result of our constant use of and reliance upon technology, is a clouding of the primary tenet; “Wealth without Work”. It is also weakening of our basic skill set and more specifically our capacity for critical thinking. Need proof? Just look at the current investigations into Russia’s interference of the 2016 Presidential Election. Much of the evidence and focus is on the public’s acceptance of “Fake News” posted on websites like Facebook and Twitter. Still not convinced? How do you explain the traction gained by a story that purported Hilary Clinton was running a child prostitution ring out of a D.C. area Pizza Parlor?
A people who cannot do or think for themselves or worse, do not make the effort to think critically for themselves will ultimately lose their freedom.
I’m not trying to come across as an alarmist, but some of the brightest minds in Science and Technology, have been warning us about the dangers of rapidly advancing technology for some time. Elon Musk (the Man behind Telsa and SpaceX), Bill Gates (founder of Microsoft and the World’s richest Man) and Stephen Hawking (Nobel Laureate and widely considered as the smartest Man on the Planet) have each warned of the growing risk of ceding more and higher human functions to machines.
Societal changes forced by modernization have for some time been leading us away from the traditional roles, jobs and skills that have defined our identity and purpose for decades. Taking leave with them is the sense of competence and contribution so necessary to our human experience. No matter how comfortable or placated we may feel at any particular moment, our nature compels us to strive for competency and accomplishment.
So what is the answer? Is there an answer? Yes and it’s fairly simple. Turn off your screen, put down your smart phone and go DO. I’m not suggesting you join an Amish clan and reject all modern conveniences. But at least a few times per week, do something with your hands, go figure something out, do something with your mind that involves no technology or digital input. Read a real newspaper – in print. If you can’t think of anything else, go for a walk in the woods (with no phone) I promise you will be happy you did. Next and most importantly; question things. Question everything. Avoid the urge to simply absorb what’s spoon fed to you incessantly on-line. Don’t believe something until it makes sense to you. Challenge yourself. Heed that old adage; “if something seems too good to be true, it probably is”.
This is a modest start, or perhaps you think it overly burdensome. The alternative is a continuing decent into a comfortable, unquestioning existence that no longer strives for the competence and contribution that we are unquestionably intended to seek.
Living honorably is not easy, it is often not comfortable, but it will keep you on the path that leads to truthfulness and fulfillment.
“Knowing a great deal is not the same thing as being smart; intelligence is not information alone but also judgement, the manner in which information is collected and used.” – Carl Sagan