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Living with technology

What is wrong with technology in general and information technology in particular? Nothing and everything. Apparently it is paradoxical but in reality it is not. Technology has empowered man to use the forces of nature to his advantage against his primordial temptation to worship them.

But as an unintended consequence, the power of man over nature has caused rupture in the very nature of man. If not accompanied by a parallel social revolution, the technological revolution is bound to denigrate human beings into spiritless robots.

To convince someone about the uses or virtues of technology will be preaching to the converted. It has permeated every aspect of life and truly reflects human ingenuity. It has made life comfortable, secure, and exciting in many ways. But technology has a social and human cost which so far has either gone undetected or unaccounted for.

The age old problem associated with technology and beautifully elucidated by George Orwell is that of ‘Big Brother’ watching us. In the wake of security concerns, the excessive use of technology has taken away most of the individual liberty and privacy. From CCTVs and satellites to drones and the internet world, nothing and no one can hide behind any curtain – social or material.

Freedom of movement is allowed to the extent that Big Brother allows it and so is freedom of expression. Personal data is stolen and then sold for a price. Blackmail has become a hobby for some and lucrative business for others.

The most worrying aspect of technology is its role in dehumanisation. Smart phones powered by 3G and 4G connectivity have exposed individuals to a strange new world of people and products through social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube etc.

This shrinking of the world is not bad per se but the way it propels man into outer space without any contact with the ground is dreadful. How embarrassing and insulting it is to keep connected with someone in the virtual world for hours and spare no time for a close relative or friend yearning for an uninterrupted meeting in the real world.

The internet, for many people, creates Plato’s cave of illusionary world where images and shades are thought to be real and keeps man deluded forever. Google and other search engines are loaded with bulk of information on every imaginable topic but the problem is how to filter valid and reliable material from junk. Students even do not think through what they have dumped in their home assignments and projects. Even research papers and dissertations are prone to cut-copy-paste temptations in Pakistan with tricky ways to fool plagiarism software like Turnitin.

Time, which was ever thought to be precious, has gone to the wolves. The young generation, in particular, spends their waking hours surfing, chatting, and sharing pictures/videos on the internet just for fun. Very few are doing something worthwhile.

A few days back, an expatriate belonging to my village had a fatal accident in Saudi Arabia while driving and surfing on the internet at the same time. But who cares for time and life in a country with a bulging population and no pressure to work.

I am neither a cynic nor a conservative but the way we change so fast is horrifying. Capitalism thrives on novelty and does not allow us to think twice before buying something new. Look at the hype created before anything new (read gimmick) is released to the market and how crazily people respond. The craze erodes in a few days only to be rejuvenated by another illusion and the wheel keeps spinning forever.

Should we collectively apply a brake to innovation and change? No. What we need to do is save the social fabric from breaking up by investing as much time and effort in human development as we do in technology.

To begin with, government and civil society can join hands to create awareness about the social implications of using technology on attitude formation, physical exertion, and most importantly human relations. Exclusive dependence on technology for fulfilment of our physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs is too much to expect from it.

The writer teaches at FAST-NU, Peshawar. Email: zeb.khan@nu.edu.pk

M Zeb Khan, "Living with technology," The News. 2015-02-21.
Keywords: Social sciences , Social issues , Social needs , Social development , Information technology , Social revolution , Social security , Human security , Human development , Civil society , Pakistan