Technology & Humanity 11/5/08

Though it is a question less visited by the average person, it is vital sometimes in order to maintain sanity in this day and age to wonder exactly what it is that makes us human. What seperates us from even the smartest of technology that scientists and genuises all over the world have presented us? In my opinion, human is everything that makes us the incredibly complex beings that we are. Human is an overwhelming variety of emotions that can most often affect us in the multiples just in a matter of seconds. Human is extreme intelligence (and even in circumstances where this may be lacking in an individual) human is also the ability to have an opinion and reactions based on your very own brains decision, not programming. Though in truth we are all somewhat programmed from the second we are born, as well as programmed by surrounding influences.... honestly is anybody truly original? Nevertheless, the human brain is so advanced that, though we may have satellites soaring through our universe and medical advances beyond our wildest dreams, we still have not been able to fully or even nearly replicate the human brain and its advanced patterns and abilities.

Now that I've established exactly what human is in my opinion, my real question at hand is whether or not technology humanizes or dehumanizes us. Though there could be many different aspects at which to view this question, I believe from first-hand experience that it is absoutely silly to believe that technology humanizes us. Yes, I am sure that there are some forms of technology that could in fact humanize one, for instance a virtual reality game that could lets say place a spider right in the hands of an intense arachniphobic; thus creating a very real and intense fear. This is utterly humanizing. Though realistically the practical everyday technology that is invading the common home on a daily basis is incredibly dehumanizing.

Televisions of course are one of the more controversial examples. It has been proven in tests and studies around the world that too much television is not only harmful to ones sense of reality, but it drains vital and sometimes underestimated human qualities such as creativity, imagination and just plain brain excercise! Many children spend multiple hours a day with eyes glued to the t.v. in a trance almost. It has also been proven that children who play outside, read, do homework or even just socialize excel academically and socially well above our t.v. lovers. Thus I believe that the television set that we Americans love more that anybody is probably one of the most dehumanizing technological devices that is easily accessible to almost anybody.