WE ARE ALL CYBORGS NOW
From Case’s talk, what surprises me most is the astonishing assertion that technology makes us more human. In its very core, this statement affirms that our humanness now is better than what it was a few years back. Also, she adds, “the most successful technology gets out of the way and lets us live our lives” (Case 7:13-7:17), but is this the case? Look around. Are we really “living our lives?” Even though technology has increased connectivity around the globe, it has not increased—in the least particular—our humanness; instead, it has robbed us of it.
For instance, to illustrate, yes, connectivity has increased—we can easily connect to our friends and families around the world. But is that what defines our humanness? Since the advent of social media, for example, how many families find time to commune—is not all the time spent on computers and cell phones “connecting?” Until technology binds family members with inextricable bonds of love and unity, it will remain harmful to our humanness.
Indeed second selves exist. And in quite a good number as well. What this state does is fashion a world that only looks to the media for meaning. In a desperate bid to conform to the technological advancements, most youths have plunged themselves carelessly into Facebook, seeking meaning and identity therein. Unfortunately, to their surprise, most of them have ended in terrible conditions, and some, astonishingly, have decided to end their lives. What am I saying? Second selves cause more harm than good.
In my perception, this means our world is spinning rapidly out of control. Even though technology has aided connectivity incredibly, it has also left permanent scars in our hearts of excruciating experiences. To even intimate that it has improved our humanness is ludicrous.
Amber case, were she to get an opportunity to speak on the same subject in 2020, undoubtedly, she would repeat her prior statements, asserting that the increase in connectivity is comparable to the increase in our humanness—in my humble view, a stance that cannot be farther from the truth.