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Technology
We live in age that has fetishised technology. Cars, computers, phones, gadgets, appliances,
TV, media players...
People invest an enormous amount of time an effort seeking, purchasing and
using their technology. But at what cost?
They have
changed the rules and they did it with lies. Lies that divide us and keep us
scrolling on our phones for distraction while they rob us in broad daylight,
while we click "like" and "buy" and obsess over conspiracies, and sell them
our eyeballs until we've not only lost our bearings, we've lost our
humanity.
(Death and Other Details)
The human body
Technology is re-shaping the human body:
- necks craning forward
- bent backs
- repetitive strain injuries
- teenagers with the poise and posture of the
elderly
- obese bodies from sitting all day.
- appalling muscle tone
The future will no doubt see a massive increase in
arthritis from using a computer mouse, mobile phone
or a videogame controller.
Buffalo hump
Many adults develop 'nerd neck' - a pronounced forward leaning of the
head - akin to a turtle. It comes from watching too much TV,
use of mobile phones, video games, driving and the
internet.
The bones are misaligned by this habit, eventually resulting in an unwanted
fatty
lump forming on both sides of the 7th vertebrae.
The lump acts as a counterweight for the head and actively prevents the
spine from aligning correctly (and naturally). This is very unhealthy
indeed. It is a lifestyle habit induced deformity.
Steel isn't
strong, boy. Flesh
is stronger.
What is steel compared to the hand that wields it?
Look at the strength of your body, the desire in your heart.
(Conan the Barbarian)
Brain health
The notion that technology will aid human
brain capacity is a myth akin to 'the paperless office'.
It is not the reality.
Do some research on-line.
See what the exam expectations were for
qualifications 50+ years ago.
Education is being dumbed-down. Expectations are lower. Intelligence is falling.
A crutch
The problem with technology is that it acts like a
crutch.
Instead of learning how to write beautifully, you pick a font and the computer
produces a flawless document.
Great, but you still cannot write neatly,
can you?
Convenience
A crutch is something used by a person who has a physical
disability.
It is an aid to help them function.
Technology does the reverse: it takes perfectly healthy,
capable people and creates a dependency, a
convenience.
Using technology is easier than using your own
brain. But is this a good thing? Is technology making you disabled?
Consciousness
Technology shapes
consciousness.
Sometimes for the better but often adversely.
Reliance on technology can reduce awareness, impede
brain function and diminish attention span.
Children may be capable of playing a
psychologically addictive video game for hours but cannot
converse coherently with a grown adult.
Junk is the ultimate merchandise.
The junk merchant does not sell his product to the consumer, he sells the
consumer to the product.
He does not improve and simplify his merchandise, he degrades and simplifies
the client.
(William S. Burroughs)
Television
Television is the worst culprit of all.
It promotes thoughtlessness, gossip,
superficiality, horrific posture,
emotional instability,
eye strain and slow brain death.
Many programs actively stimulate the viewer and create
anxiety.
People fret about imaginary problems or issues
that they cannot possibly have any control over.
This causes depression and
stress.
The TV thinks for you
Why bother to use your brain and think things
through when the TV will provide an opinion
instead?
A false sense of knowledge and
understanding is fostered.
It is founded on a superficial grasp of the
subject and seldom accounts for all aspects of a given
topic/issue.
Live life through the TV
Instead of living, you can watch.
You can passively observe just about
anything you like.
No commitment, no
hardship, no expense, no
direct personal
experience is required.
Mobile phones
The mobile phone has become an intrusive third party in many
relationships.
People sit in the company of real life humans whilst
texting absent people, scanning the web, posting or chatting with friends.
Something significant is lost.
A toy for grown ups
Most of the activities performed on mobile phones have no bearing on the
original purpose of the phone: game playing, 'tweeting',
taking 'selfies'...
Are these activities more meaningful than genuine
face-to-face human interaction?
I possess a device in my pocket,
that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man.
I use it to look at pictures of cats and get into arguments with strangers.
(Reddit)
Real time
Interacting with people in
real life is quite different to listening to a disembodied voice on the
phone.
You have a vast array of additional information to work with:
Tone of voice
Inflection
Facial expressions - use of facial
musculature
Eyes - sincerity,
tension, attention level
Poise/posture/body language
Emotional state
Non-verbal clues that can confirm veracity
There is nothing intimate or personal about a phone call.
Interpersonal skills are an art that cannot be fully rendered by voice alone.
Most people underestimate the
extent to which their attention is misdirected by a phone call. Research has
shown that talking even on a hands-free phone has the same detrimental
impact on your driving as being over the drink-drive limit. However, since
we overestimate our own abilities, we dont notice the impact this
technological misdirection has on our performance.
(Gustav Kuhn)
Laptop
The laptop is used for legitimate business purposes by many users.
Sadly, the ergonomics are not so great.
Look at any information on-line concerning the ideal
placement/use of the human body when operating a computer.
You cannot do any of it with a laptop.
Tablet
The tablet is like a laptop, only worse.
As a functional tool it is worthless.
At best it is an expensive toy with limited professional value/application.
Despite the educational potential
of computers, the reality is that their use for education is miniscule
compared to their use for pure entertainment.
Instead of closing the achievement gap, they're widening the time-wasting
gap.
(Vicky Rideout)
Investment
People spend tens of thousands of pounds on a car.
The car is devalued as soon as you drive it off the forecourt.
Mobile phones are designed to become
obsolete within a year or so.
Technology
fashion
encourages a continual refreshing of the product, as
old styles and features become redundant and uncool.
Has the original function changed?
Media players are continually being developed.
TV screens get larger and larger with an increased degree of hypnotic clarity
and a quality of sound that only the most understanding neighbour will be happy
about.
Technology is not cheap
So much money is spent on technology. How much time, money and effort will people invest in their
own body? Their mind?
Their spiritual/personal development?
Smart phone
In our technologically-dependent era people tend to equate the
ownership of high-tech toys with
intelligence. As if owning a phone means they
are smart. 'Smart phone'
refers to the device, not the owner.
Did you design, build or program your mobile phone? Do you even
understand how the device works? Could you
construct your own?
Not quite so smart, eh?
We are checking our smartphones on
average 221 times a day. Recent research found that 80 percent of
millennials look at their phones upon waking; this addiction is a strong
one. As a result, our cognitive processing has become shallower and we have
become so distracted that we play directly into the hands of the autopilot.
Digital devices are the modern day equivalent of tranquillisers. They instil
a trance-like state almost immediately as they are anchors for our
subconscious to take over.
(Chris Barez-Brown)
Hi-tech
Your body is the most
sophisticated, advanced piece of technology you
possess. How well can you use it?
Do you have an advanced
understanding of human
biomechanics?
Can you use your body skilfully?
Does your body perform whatever you demand of it?
Wisdom
If you read the books written by
ancient gurus millennia ago it becomes glaring
obvious that most people these days are stupid.
Hey, don't be insulted.
We are all pretty stupid.
Try reading Marcus Aurelius, Confucius,
Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu,
Krishnamurti.
How well do you understand what these people are saying? Really understand? The good news is that you can
do something about it.
You can unplug. You can switch off. You can
learn.
Switch off
Try switching the TV off.
Suddenly the day is yours to do with as you
see fit. Switch off the PC. The phone.
Go around the house and unplug every electronic device you are not using.
Wow; no more background hum.
Your electric meter is no longer spinning fast.
Reclaim
When you commit to reclaiming your body and
mind, you are beginning to live a deliberate
life.
You may be tempted to hammer your body at the
gym, run the streets or do something
rash... Don't.
There is no rush.
Take some time. Reflect.
Think deeply.
Make choices that arise from a
long-term perspective.
The complex reality of the technologies that real companies leverage to get
ahead emphasizes the absurdity of the now common idea that exposure to
simplistic, consumer-facing products - especially in schools - somehow
prepares people to succeed in a high-tech economy.
Giving students iPads or allowing them to film homework assignments on
YouTube prepares them for a high-tech economy about as much as playing with
Hot Wheels would prepare them to thrive as auto mechanics.
(Cal Newport)
Measure
Calculate how much time each week you spend on activities: Watching TV?
Using the PC for leisure?
Playing videogames?
Playing on your phone/texting/talking?
If your TV time exceeds 7 hours a week, ask yourself why.
Watching an excessive amount of TV prevents you from doing everything else.
Cold turkey
It is quite difficult for modern people to go 'cold turkey'.
They are so accustomed to watching other people doing things with their
lives that they have completely forgotten about
living their own.
Try watching one movie/TV episode a week? Leave the TV off for the
rest of the week.
Now try to curtail PC usage, mobile phones and any other technologies you
are investing your time (and life) in.
You will find yourself with a lot of free time.
Start living instead of watching/browsing/commentating/updating.
Tools, of course, can be the
subtlest of traps.
(Neil Gaiman)
Page created
1 August 1999
Last updated
11 March 2024
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