We Enter a Time of Calamity: Meditations on the Implications of a Technologically-Dependent World
We see it everywhere, and yet we must ask: do we truly notice the full implications of its presence; the endless hours we devote to essentially doing nothing at all? Ever-present and always growing, technology can be both helpful and hurtful. Technology is a beautiful thing, its essentialness exonerated through the way it connects us to loved ones all over the world and provides us access to more information than our own parents would have ever thought possible. Despite how enabling and helpful such technological advancements of our time have been, they have also presented detrimental effects upon 21t century U.S. citizens by hindering their social abilities in face-to-face interactions, causing some to lose focus on the importance of a simple and emotional connection with someone that is physically present. It is important to remain wary of this loss of one's connection with their emotions and the calm moments of introspection that ultimately construct the basis of their humanity. In the fictional novel Feed by M.T. Anderson, the technologically-dependent dystopia of the Feed world warns of the horrors that will certainly ensue if a society is ruled by technology and contains citizens that have lost touch with their humanity, therefore forgetting the beauty in simple quiet moments shared with friends that are near. Though Feed is categorized as a satirical novel, it is impossible to deny that if we continue on this path of increasing technological dependence, we may very well end up living our lives in the same meaningless fashion.
http://www.visualphotos.com/image/2x3754133/a_couple_talking_on_their_cell_phones
This photo was taken from visualphotos.com; close couples are no longer as close and intimate as they used to be.
We all go about our lives in the hopes of projecting a socially-acceptable image of ourselves to our friends and peers, whether it be in a manner of direct contact in the physical world or it be through the self-curated profile we have created for ourselves on various media platforms such as social media sites. We wake up and become immersed in technology, sometimes so entirely distracted by the entertainment and functionality it provides that we are not mindful of just how prominent it has become in every part of our daily lives. Think about it-- did you wake this morning to the peaceful sounds of birds chirping and the sun’s ray streaming through your window, beckoning you into the wondrous new day? If you’re the average American, this is highly unlikely. Instead, your alarm probably woke you before sunrise, insistent upon fulfilling its purpose even after the third time you hit the snooze button. Once awake, you checked your phone, you went on Facebook, favorited a tweet, liked a photo on Instagram, searched Google, checked the weather app, posted on your blog, used your computer, replied to an email, used heated water to take a shower, opened the fridge, turned on the microwave or stove to prepare breakfast, brewed coffee with a fancy Keurig device, got a notification for an important meeting, made a phone call, sent at least a dozen text messages, and much more before even getting in your car. This is a short compilation of technological possibilities the day holds, and poses the question of whether or not the United States could function without any these gadgets, from the running of the country as a whole down to the ability for each individual to go about their daily lives in state in which chaos would not ensue. Technology has become so ingrained in every aspect of our culture and nation that it would in fact be impossible to function without it, and the hold it has on this nation is only getting stronger.
This is the Dunkin Donuts logo, but with a few "subtle" alterations.
Most Americans have heard the phrase: “There’s an app for that!” As shown in this iPhone commercial, Apple In. coined this phrase to send a message to the world that they have a certain power over technological processing and accessibility, especially with their creation of the iPhone, which enables connections to a wide array of apps. Media is pressing upon the younger US generation the idea that owning such products as the iPhone is the norm from a very early age through both subtle and not-so-subtle tactics such as advertisement in children’s shows like Sesame Street. This type of media does present wonderful advantages to its users, but if used too frequently, also presents negative outcomes such as severe health problems not spoken of in advertisements (Fiscus). As explained by psychologist Larry Rosen, researcher shows that teens who use more technology such as video games or the internet miss the most school and constantly have headaches, sleeping problems, anxiety, depression, as well as often develop a narcissistic personality through Facebook usage. In fact, Rosen’s research found that the more often someone uses Facebook, the more likely it is that they have antisocial personality disorder, paranoia, shortened attention spans, and consume alcohol (Mullens). On average, nearly half of an average United States citizen’s day is spent using a proliferation of technology, and even so these numbers are rising. Technology is pressing us ever onward into a world of continuous restricted attention as well as a lesser understanding of the peaceful moments that connect us with our emotions and overall sense of humanity.
http://bgr.com/2014/01/28/google-glass-prescription-frames-launch/
A male model for the apple company is wearing the Google glass device. This altered photo is meant to show the seemingly infinite possibilities provided.
Feed by MT Anderson provides an excellent example of what United States society may evolve into if we continue on this path to becoming so dependent on technology that we essentially lose our humanity. Within the novel, the main characters, Titus and Violet, go on adventures with their friends. Everyone in their world has a chip implanted in their brain, providing them with a constant source of digital entertainment as well as commercialism, chat centers, instantaneous music, and much more. Throughout the novel, it becomes apparent that most of the characters have lost what makes them human by becoming so immersed in the technology that they can no longer feel deeply or form unique ideas of their own. Against all odds, Titus and Violet fall in love, causing Titus to realize that there is much more to life than just the “Feed” (which is the constant sources of information flowing through the chips in their brains), for he has stumbled upon an essential human connection that the rest of the world has unfortunately lost. He finds these emotions he feels for Violet beautiful, although he cannot fully understand them, and is surprised when he feels joy in the silent moments in which he can simple enjoy her company. In the end, Violet’s body rejects the Feed and Titus realizes that the last person he could truly connect to-- the last person who truly possessed a unique and beautiful soul-- is now gone from existence. As his world falls apart and heads to oblivion, Titus finally understands the complete and utter sadness that has fallen upon his world, a sadness expressed in tears of the past for a lack of emotional and personal connections that shall never have a chance to be made, grown, and felt with love again. To show an example of how Titus's friends contrasted from his beliefs and could not feel that personal connection with someone, I posted this video on my account from an episode of the Big Bang Theory that I was watching that illustrates the issue in a comical way.
http://weheartit.com/entry/13688560
This photo is from we<3it.com, a blog and interactive site. This shows a world in which technology is never silenced.
Not only is the world in which the Feed characters reside simply a warning, it is also what we are most definitely moving towards at a highly alarming rate. With the inventions of Google glass, the previously accessible technology on our cell phones and computers have moved to our heads, directly in the path of our vision. Technology is getting closer and closer to our eyes and our brain, the most basic units of our body we entrust to create an accurate reality construction of the world. If such a change as going from the creation of the iPhone to placing technology directly on our faces can occur in only seven years, how soon will it take for the technology to be placed directly within our bodies, such as a chip in our brains, exactly like in Feed? It is an interesting question to be ask, and one that currently needs greater attention than the United States media and officials are currently giving it. Other similarities between the worlds include the loss of social connection between friends, partners, and family (as shown in the link video), major illnesses, corporate consolidation and takeover , and many more. In the case of corporate consolidation, the similarities between the United States and the Feed world are quite clear. Perhaps the most prominent of these issues is corporate consolidation and takeover, for there are currently six companies today in the United States that control ninety percent of the media: GE, Newscorps, Disney, Viacom, Time Warner, and CBS. While twenty years ago fifty companies controlling the media, now everything that is read, listened to, or watched is based upon whatever these six companies decide to construct as reality for the entire nation.
http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/walt-disney-characters/images/31872968/title/walt-disney-screencaps-walt-disney-logo-photo
I got this background from fanpop.com and put in text, graphics, and the two pictures of Miley Cyrus, a famous Disney star. This shows that Disney sets an unrealistic ideal for girls.
In the Feed world, each member of society is given a digital profile based their consumer preferences, and the same goes for present-day United States. Companies such as Facebook can use the likes of their users to create specifically ideal advertisements and can even link with purchases on amazon to create the optimal sidebar ads that are always present when someone logs into Facebook. Commercialism is everywhere, fueling the big six corporations as well as other technological businesses all across the US. During the book, Titus states: “We Americans are interested only in the consumption of our products. We have no interest in how they are produced, or what happens to them once we discard them, once we throw them away.” This seems to connect over to the current state of the US, due to the fact that we cannot seem to find a moment of peace without some kind of advertisement or technological distractions being thrown in our faces. Furthermore, the chemical waste generated to create new technologies have caused birth defects, serious illnesses, and deformities). This is similar to the world of Feed because the remaining characters eventually became consumed by cancerous tumors and lesions. as shown in this video:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effects_of_the_Chernobyl_disaster
These are two images I put together of physically deformed children due to birth defects from the Chernobyl nuclear waste catastrophe in 1986. I put them together and added the words to show that serious consequences are a threat.
In this short but influential documentary, "A Day Without Technology", the main points of this paper are furthered analyzed. In the video, a boy named Thomas decides not to use technology for the day and is ultimately presented with numerous frustrating problems. In the end, Thomas does not feel peaceful, but rather frustrated, showing that he and society may never be able to regain a balance due to technology being such an integrated norm in the lives of United States citizens. Although this may make the situation for the US seem hopeless and as if it is rapidly spiraling into the world of Feed, there are things people can do to attempt to change their own fates. Whether it be the smile of a family member, holding hands with the person you love, or sharing a memory of something that enticed you about nature, you should let those memories and emotions flow through you and understand that they are what make you who you are. Technology is meant to be a useful tool to enhance the quality of life, not to consume the attention of its users, ultimately detaching them from the real world and their relationships to place them in a state of constant partial attention. The best thing to do is to stay informed and mindful of your technological consumption while also cultivating strong relationships apart from communication devices, for the love you feel for those around you is what shows you the beauty of your own humanity. In a video by user bubzbeauty, the speaker explains that there is more to life than technological consumption and that happiness is an attainable goal. When Titus said in Feed: “The only thing worse than the thought it may all come tumbling down is the thought that we may go on like this forever,” he realized that humanity had been lost and meaningless moments filled his world, instances in which living people interact and breathe but never truly live at all. This does not have to be our fate.
http://josavill.com/soak-up-the-nature/
This is a photo from the Josavill Science Communicator website. I added the logos/sign and added the words, as well as edited the original photos with settings such as contrast, brightness, noise reduction, etc. It is meant to show that we sometimes need to turn away from technology.
"Today I choose life. Every morning when I wake up I can choose joy, happiness, negativity, pain...to feel the freedom that comes from being able to continue to make mistakes and choices - today I choose to feel life and not to deny my humanity, but rather, to embrace it." In this quote by American photographer and author Kevyn Aucoin, an important message is conveyed. In order to choose life, joy, happiness, and even experience negativity and pain, we must be human. This is a unique set of skills that only humans posses. We make mistakes, we exist in multitudes of emotions, and exhibit the oddest behaviors because we are unique and beautifully imperfect. We differ and should embrace this aspect of our lives, relishing in the joy that comes from knowing that we are surrounded by people who love us even when it does not seem quite rational to do so. It is sometimes essential to cast aside rationality and make mistakes, for it is from that that we learn. Technology is composed of machines and devices that are helpful and will always continue to advance as the human race explores its creative abilities, but now is a critical time of action for the United States to put a stop to the negativity that also results. Humans are losing their humanity, their ability to connect with one another and enjoy the simply moments that I argue are the purest treasures of the human existence. As warned in the book Feed by MT Anderson, we may enter a state of calamity in which we can no longer feel these emotions that make us such undeniably wondrous and compassionate creatures. If there is no change, we will find ourselves living in a meaningless fashion, going about our days with beating hearts that cannot feel and glancing eyes that do not see.
This is a compilation of facial pictures I cropped from the Google image search engine, mostly from makeup ads and online articles. I added them together, changes some of the textures, definitions, and other elements as well as adding the words and making the Google glass model black and white. This is meant to show that despite the fact that this person may have ready access to more people than anyone else in the photo, they are also the most alone.
WORKS CITED:
Anderson, MT. Feed. Candlewick Press , 2002. Print.
Aucoin, Kevyn. "Recovery Quotes: Beauty." Weighing the Facts. (2014): n. page. Print.
<Inspirational Recovery Quotes: Choosing Happiness>.
Chen, Brian. "In Two Settlements, Money for Apple and Amazon Customers." Bits: The Business of
Technology. The New York Times, 25 03 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.
<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com>.
Deschene, Lori. " 7 Tips to Keep Technology from Taking Over Your Life (from Wisdom 2.0)." Tiny
Buddha. N.p., 04 03 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://tinybuddha.com/blog/8-tips-to-keep
technology-from-taking-over-your-life-from-wisdom-2-0/>.
Fiscus, Michelle. "Too Much Technology Breeds Health Problems in Teens." Herndon Patch. (2011):
n. page. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. <http://herndon.patch.com/groups/opinion/p/too-much-technology-
breeds-health-problems-in-teens-2>.
Gorda, Ana. "Real Compassion." A Journey to Becoming. wordpress.com, 27 01 2014. Web. 25 Mar.
2014. <http://ajourneytobecoming.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/love-and-compassion-are
necessities-not-luxuries-without-them-humanity-cannot-survive-dalai-lama/>.
Jones, Steve. New Media & Society. Chicago: Sage Publications, Print.
Mullins, Justin. "Can Facebook Make You Sad?." (2014): n. page. Print.
<http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140206-is-facebook-bad-for-you>.
NTDTV, . Ukraine Marks 27th Anniversary of Nuclear Disaster. 2014. Video. YoutubeWeb. 25 Mar
2014. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-GXO_urMow>.
Tenner, Edward. Why Things Bite Back: Technology and the Revenge of Unintended
Consequences. New York, 1996.
Everything must go.
Everything must go.
Everything must go.
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