perhaps this is mostly me fumbling to make sense of the ins and outs of everyday, but my life seems to take on themes. right now, it feels like the theme that keeps coming up is digital hyperconnectivity and anxiety. ben got the ball rolling on his blog a few weeks ago. it's definitely worth following the conversation on his blog. my contribution was the thought that with technology, like all things, we must find a balance rather than clinging to simple extremes.then, a week ago i listened to an excellent podcast on econtalk. econtalk is my weekly chance to listen to people who are smarter than me talk about things i don't understand. actually, whether you care about economics, markets, and human social behavior or not, it's a really interesting podcast. one of my favorite traits of the show's host, russ roberts, is that he has plenty of guest who hold opinions that differ from his own and engages them in honest, tame discussion.
my like for econtalk aside, i really enjoyed a recent podcast in which roberts interviewed author mark helprin. though they ostensibly were debating intellectual copyright, about halfway through the show, they begin to discuss humans and technology. helprin makes a good point that rather than technology making our lives easier, it often forces us to bend to it, making our lives more complicated for the sake of productivity. he notes after all that has changed about this world, humans still need food, friends/family, and rest. this thought is at once obvious and revolutionary. at this moment, if the general trend in our culture is moving towards anything, it is certainly not for doing less in the name of rest. it is to utilize the latest gadgets to do as much as possible. rather than allowing us more free time, most technology seems to give us more work and more stress. check the podcast out here, i think it's worth a listen.
recently, i've been thinking alot about the role of anxiety in my own life. my worry-free external persona is often an act, covering anxiety about some of the most mundane tasks. i wonder to what extent this anxiety is exacerbated by being connected to the internet all day long. i know the ability to learn next to nothing about almost any topic has destroyed my attention span. i also wonder the extent to which knowing about something i have to do the second the email arrives creates added stress.
i know that in many ways this topic is far from new. people much smarter than i have been saying "less is more" for years. it also seems like simplicity is definitely back in style, most likely as a result of our collectively hyperconnected lives. the super nerdy sci-fi part of my mind thinks that if the world was ever going to be taking over by machines, it wouldn't look anything like the movies. instead, we would simply continue down our current path, each generation altering their lifestyle more and more to accommodate the machines. i know this is ridiculous sounding, and i don't mean it in all seriousness, but i still think it's worth puzzling over. ok, maybe it's not worth puzzling over the robot takeover (and make no mistake, they will take over). but it is worth thinking about our own dependence on machines. don't worry, i'll continue to use my computer, i may even get a fancy phone one day. so i'm certainly not refuting my earlier point about technology, like most things, being both good and bad. but the more i think about it, the more difficult it seems to find the balance between owning the computer and the computer owning you.
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3 comments:
I love this. We do bend to technology...and often we don't even think about.
Just as you said - Robots will take over. The problem is we'll never know it happened.
I need to listen to that podcast and write an actual response, but while I'm thinking about it:
I recommend a book called Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology. It is a great read for anyone who is wondering "who owns who?" It is a true account of a young man who decides to do his graduate thesis by moving to an Amish-style community with his new wife for 18 months. He chronicles the way he learns that sometimes technology works against us and why doing things the "hard" way can actually be beneficial. I liked it because it is a real story set in the real world. Neil Postman is great and everything, but sometimes he just seems like an old man getting mad at the kids and their damn rock music.
Also, on an unrelated note, TED talks are also an amazing chance to listen to people smarter than you talk about things you don't understand. Bono gave one a while back.
you can read my extensive comment on Ben's blog about this topic but this morning provides another example of hyperconnectivity.
my work involves a TON of technology use. two phones, sometimes two computers, at least 2 cameras, cellphone cards, VPN, FTP, etc.
i transmitted photos of flood damage from the boonies this morning.
last week i missed an apartment opportunity because lately my phone hasn't been picking up voicemail until several hours after the call was made. if i had the voicemail the second the phone call ended, i would have known to call the complex back and sign a lease. but no. i didn't get the voicemail until hours later and found out that the apartment was taken by someone else in the time that it took me to make the return call.
oddly enough, my parents are polar opposites when it comes to technology. my mom has an iphone. my dad hates his dinky analog cellphone from 8 years ago. sometimes i get in trouble when i don't respond to a phone call or text message within an appropriate amount of time (3 minutes). it is not necessary.
it is funny to me that i hate it, but have to use it all the time because of work (or parents).
anyway.
i'm using it now. so seeyalaterbye.
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