We must be moving, working, making dreams, to run toward; the poverty of life without dreams is too horrible to imagine - Sylvia Plath
The words of Sylvia Path are very symbolic to living life, and to dreams that all of us have as individuals, or created by others for us all, whether meant or not.
We must have dreams to live, but not all dreams are what we need or want, and in this post I talk about The Technology Dream, and in particular two books that aroused my consciousness. It maybe is time to think “differently” as to the dream that is Technology.
Is the Technology we now use both a gift and burden? Is it the fulfilled Dream we so hoped for?
Irresistible by Adam Atler
I have mentioned Irresistible before now in my blog, but have revisited this book in the context of also reading The Shallows that I discuss below.
I would strongly recommend reading Atler’s book which looks into the addiction caused by Technology; from The Internet to the Smart Phone. Technology is the proverbial elephant in the living room, and one I now realise we need to be aware of, especially based on my own experience of it.
Do not think me a naysayer or doom monger or just plain daft. I have managed to start severing my ties with Technology and to be honest it is work in progress.
On reading the book it is clear that those who propagate Technology know they have opened the modern version of Pandora’s Box. The Genie is proverbially out of the bottle. BUT what is the Genie?
Alter in Irresistible explains how technology is designed to be addictive and that the gratification it provides is similar to that of other addictive behaviours, such as drug abuse or gambling.
Frighteningly big business leverages this. Morally this is questionable and repugnant. “They” design Technology with a view to harness addiction.
The brain’s reward centre based around the neurotransmitter Dopamine is deliberately stimulated to the point whereby psychologically and physically Technology is needed. There is a emotional, mental, then physical need and craving; and withdrawal. See pages 71-72 of the latest edition of the book.
We now know that humans become addicted to technology via the same addiction pathway as drink and drugs, with the process being slower; but the same crucial pathway. You need to be aware.
The Brain’s Reward Centre and Dopamine - Some Further Reading
“Even though using technology isn’t the same as using drugs or alcohol, the brain processes both addictions the same way. Winning a level of a video game, getting “likes” on a picture, and gambling online releases dopamine, a feel-good chemical in the brain, just like drinking alcohol or using drugs does. Over time, we begin to crave this dopamine release, which compels us to use technology and internet-enabled devices even more. Unfortunately, this tricks the brain into thinking it doesn’t need to create and release dopamine naturally, which disrupts the brain’s delicate chemical balance.” (From Stoneridge Website.)
In My Own Experience - What is the LOSS? The Trade Off?
In my own experience I was shrouded in Technology use. Glued to the iPhone, glued to the laptop. I’d wake up and reach for a phone. Tell me what is different for a smoker or even an addict reaching for their “fix”.
As per Atler’s Irresistible I’d crave e-mails, crave likes, crave people viewing posts and so it went.
Like the addict life became all consuming around the “Technology Fix” and frighteningly getting it. There is a direct comparison to other forms of addiction.
In talking of loss I became inward, with Technology taking over from real relationships and fun. I was neglecting work, social life, and myself. Time itself was dribbling away. There were physical symptoms; a lack of sleep, lack of concentration, withdrawal, jealousy, and low self esteem. But see the next bullet point.
You’d be surprised as to what this form of addiction does to a human being. Have a read of the following article: https://www.psycom.net/iadcriteria.html
You need to be aware of a) the addictive effects of Technology usage and b) the fact that big business deliberately creates and designs Technology to stimulate addiction. They know what they are doing, and do it deliberately.
The Shallows
Another book in the same vein as Irresistible is The Shallows. The book expands on the themes first raised in "Is Google Making Us Stupid?", Carr's 2008 essay in The Atlantic, and explores the effects of the Internet on the brain. The book claims research shows "online reading" yields lower comprehension than reading a printed page.[1] The Shallows was a finalist for the 2011 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. (Source: Wikipedia.)
I would strongly recommend reading this book as to The Internet. Carr notes the following:
“Whenever we turn on our computer, we are plunged into an “ecosystem of interruption technologies,” as the blogger and science fiction writer Cory Doctorow terms it.” (The Shallows.)
“The Net’s interactivity gives us powerful new tools for finding information, expressing ourselves, and conversing with others. It also turns us into lab rats constantly pressing levers to get tiny pellets of social or intellectual nourishment.” (The Shallows.)
“But, he [Carr] says, it has altered the way our minds work. The web encourages us to click and flick. Soon all our brains want to do is click and flick. We stop reading novels, and before we know it, "the linear, literary mind" becomes "yesterday's mind".” (Source: The Guardian.
Carr shows how The Internet is playing to the plasticity of the human brain to re-write how we actually think. Is this what we really want? A tenuous grip on both reality and information. This, it can be argued, translates into our interpersonal skills, with huge consequences.
Conclusion
Now, I am not saying that Technology is the work of The Devil or should be avoided at all costs. It is a useful tool in the modern world, but a dreadful master. But if used with awareness of addiction then we avoid following the standard path of addictive behaviour, which could also lead to cross-addiction and worse.