RETROSPECTIVE: Cascading Influence of Technology

By naykdhodlr | naykdhodlr | 13 Jan 2025


 

The following essay written in 2010 is in reaction to a documentary examining and questioning the state of computer technology, Internet, etc. [as of that time], and with its fast rate of advancement and infusion into modern daily life; to question the short and long terms effects it potentially imposes for the better or worse, upon daily life of society.

 Now approximately fifteen years later to look to was written then, relative to where we are to date on the topic; Did the observation of concern that technology would have an generally negative impact on social behavior and influences manifest?

 It may be an erroneous assumption that several to this platform were likely in their early teens when this essay is written; so: Reflectively, what do you think?

TECHNOLOGY

 

Cascading Influence of Technology

To best appreciate this article FIRST watch this Doc Zone (unfortunately the link no longer exists) .

As portrayed in the documentary the increasing infusion of technology into our daily lives has severe consequences to our future especially as it becomes the norm for those of future generations.

It is not uncommon in today’s households to see relative newborn playing with technology in such an advanced way as to impress. In fact just recently, while visiting relatives I saw my eighteen month old grand nephew with ease, manipulate a mouse to initiate a web page on a laptop computer, negotiate insertion of a CD into a player to watch a children’s program, etc., etc. At the time we all expressed our delight and amazement of how proficient he had become in response to the challenge we would have considered beyond one so young yet, ignorant to how such advancement so early in the life of this child could have negative influence in his future.

As the documentary illustrates the advancement and ease by which technology has infiltrated the daily lives of significant segments of western and increasingly, world populations can have serious negative impact and again as pointed out in the documentary, is there any possibility of putting the `genie back in the bottle’?

I would hazard to quite easily guess that the answer is a resounding: NO!

Simply consider that this article itself is produced and communicated via the same technology sighted as contributing to a decline in the fabric of society as we have once known it and at the speed these technologies are advancing, the forecast for even the near future does not bode well given what is being experienced today.

So is there a solution? Does the majority of the population even perceive there to be a problem to be resolved?   The fact the sale of these technologies is projected to increase exponentially and more pervasively around the world; a conservative answer to these questions would have to be: againNo.

For those unfamiliar with the term Neuro-plasticity it is the ability of the brain to establish new neuro pathways by way of repetitive behavioral functioning.  It has been researched to assist stroke patients to re-establish motor function in affected parts of the body.  If such is the case for stroke victims one need consider the potential for the effects of repetitive behavior associated with technology.  This was alluded to in the documentary and broaches even the subject of addiction.  Pavlov’s laws of punishment and reward associated with behavior also comes into play and is directly associated with addiction in this case applied translated by the reward aspect – the anticipation of something new and/or interesting to be realized by way of the next email or text message.   The psychology and physiology is no different to that associated with any other type of addiction.  And the personal costs can be substantial.

I know of an individual who lost several high paying jobs directly as a result of his email addiction. In his last position he was found to be sending up to two hundred emails a day on the company’s time the majority of which were not job related.  Too, a search into documentary archives will produce several articles reporting on matters of computer addiction related to Internet pornography.

Given the general nature of humans the current path being paved by the efficiency and increasing accessibility and power of technology it should raise the clamber of the loudest bells and whistles of alarm that unless the course is somehow changed society is in for significant upheavals and potentially render an unrecognizable habitation to that experienced even in the recent past. 

With every stratum of global societies being equally enthralled and affected by advanced computer and communication technologies, the perceived changes are coming for better or worse and in my humble opinion, the latter is more likely to be the case.

 

As a follow-up to this essay, here is a link relevant to this posting: https://www.publish0x.com/naykdhodlr/retrospective-last-chance-revolution-lost-xpxqnze

 

 

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naykdhodlr
naykdhodlr

A free-lance writer delving into an eclectic array of topic of interest; crypto-development being of the many.


naykdhodlr
naykdhodlr

Welcome: what you will find developing from this Blog in the form of individual Posts, is an eclectic array of form and format delving into an equally eclectic array of subject matter. The objective of this Blog is to convey the meanderings of a curious mind expressed through poetry, short-story, photography, and graphic-digital art. If any of this tickles your fancy: please proceed and hopefully your curiosity will be satisfactorily served. Too, a quick critical comment is always appreciated.

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