When a new technology comes to the market there are often outcries about the harm to society that it will wreak. Take AI, the number of jobs that it threatens could cause a global recession. Social media is causing a breakdown in child psychology. If / when AI becomes conscious we’re not ready to manage the unforeseen consequences. Throughout history, new technologies have morphed the way that we live. Until a new technology becomes established, its full effect cannot be fully appreciated. It is diffuclt to guage how integrated it will become. As a result, new technologies hit us like waves reaching the shore; one innovation after another, each building on the previous invention.
I don’t want to be a naysayer, I think I am quite open minded, but I have noticed that many modern technologies pander to our shadow side. Our shadow side shies away from social interaction. It doesn’t want to meet new people, or chat to someone in the shops. Our shadow side doesn’t want to leave the house, or walk anywhere. I argue that unlike inventions of the past, like boats, trains and aeroplanes, which are expansive, increasing the users experiences, quite literally expanding their horizons, many modern technologies are reducing their users experience and, as a result, increasing isolation.
Instead of going shopping, we browse online. Instead of going to the cinema, we watch Netflix. Instead of talking to the shop assistant, we self check out. Instead of talking to people on the bus, we are on social media. Instead of talking to our family at dinner time, we are on our mobile phone. Looking to rent a room? Housemates no longer seek a match, instead landlords recruit the new housie and housemates hang out in their rooms, on their laptops. Everywhere we look, modern society, aided by tech, is shrinking our social sphere.
In Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell cites sociologist Granovetter’s theory about the strength of ‘weak connections’. Like that between the shop assistant and the customer, a weak connection can be more important than a strong connection in effecting social and cultural change. But these connections are disappearing. Now we do not have to leave the house for any reason, if we do not want to. We entertain ourselves with social media and AI chatbots, we eat food deliveries. Why should such virtual realities permeate our lives? Why were we so willing to sacrifice our old ways of life?
The answer is threefold. Dependent on hand held computers in the form of mobile phones, and laptops, shiney new tech, with flashing lights and multicolours is hard to resist. I have had a mobile phone for nearly thirty years and I rarely tire of picking it up for an update, even if its just the weather. The path of progress is unstoppable with new technology and functionality tying in to fun gadgets. Our virtual realities are addictive. We are only too happy to use our electronic gizmos more and more. And the more we carry out our business online, the less we interact with each other in person.
Secondly, mechanisation is generally cheaper than managing humans, so more and more businesses are replacing humans with machines. The more automated the shopping experience, in theory, the cheaper it should be. Cheaper usually wins out as customers vote with their wallets. Centralised retail warehouses, and global social media platforms all use economies of scale to offer the customer a cheaper product. Money based economies are driving us towards a streamlined virtual world that is financially superior. Whether it is ecologically sound, or socially rewarding is an entirely different matter. Money based economics ignore these other criteria. Virtual worlds have the feel of good value because so much content is free, paid for by adverts.
Finally, technology panders to our shadow side. Our introverted, antisocial shadow does not want to wait in a queue or greet the shop assistant; it does not want to walk into town and browse the aisles for some new clothes; it does not think to join a new club to meet new people, instead it creates an AI companion. Technophiles think they are helping people to get more out of life for less effort, but they are erasing vast swathes of sociability and opportunity. Without physical interaction, being close to other humans, and idly chatting, we miss out on creating those all important weak connections.
Another aspect of our shadow side is vanity. And of late, new tech has certainly played into our vainglorious streak. Selfies, photo albums, videos, all document our lives in technicolour. New tech tends to mimic ourselves, what it means to be human is imitated and amplified. We call, we record voice messages, we compose photos, we make videos of the beautiful things in our lives. We search for validation. Do I look pretty? Do you like my posts? And now AI companions mean we can mimic friendships. If no one else is around we can log in to our chatbox host and have endless conversation about anything we can imagine. Tech takes what we can already do, and makes it better, bigger, further reaching and lasting: the virtual world is full of content old and new, our lives are immortalised on the web.
And it’s not just the memories and snapshots of our lives. As robotics develop, as artificial intelligence becomes more nuanced, we will create millions of robots using tonnes of resources, all dependent on electricity. We aim to mimic, not just part of us, but entire family members. The novelty value of a robot, of a walking, talking human that isn’t a human, is impossible to resist. But just as with the development of AI, where no one thought about the energy cost, there is no consideration of the damage we will do to the environment in creating all these new computerised toys. Our vainglorious, “fun” side takes precedent.
If we travel down this road of technology, anywhere and everywhere, our energy costs will undoubtedly rise. Until we discover clean energy, we should all be thinking about cutting down our energy consumption, not increasing it. Thats if we get that far. With temperatures rising, their could be an apocalyptic rise in temperatures, which only worsens the more energy we burn and the more resources we process. Here comes my main boggle with technology: without clean energy, shortsightedness will take us down a path of intensive technology, and ever higher energy consumption. AI gadgets and gizmos will come to predominate when basic products would suffice. There will be a robot in every home, just for the crack.
I’m not suggesting we get rid of technology, but the world is facing a climate crisis. Various govenments have annnounced a climate emergency. As part of that emergency, we should be limiting, or delaying, the technology that is introduced. We have forgotten nature, we spend little time in meditation. Our neurones have become hard wired to indulge in technology. It is perfectly normal to create a virtual reality and to exist within it, from the moment we wake up, to the moment that we go to sleep. But for all our infinite innovation, are we about to shoot ourselves most finally in the foot? With rising energy costs, will we lose all hope of cutting down to net zero?
What can we do about this unstoppable train of technological evolution? Will we be happy cosying up with our shadow side, hidden away from the world, forever? Social isolation is a major problem in the UK. Public spaces have deteriorated in the face of virtual spaces, heightening the problems of people who live alone. When we become aware of the dynamic, we can buck the trend. By spending more time outdoors, in our communities we can mend our broken relationship with society. We can use social media to find events that are going on near to us. We can switch off the phone at meal times. We could leave the phone at home.
No Light Ecology says that it is ok to sacrifice your time spent using technology. Indulging your senses in a walk amongst nature, in a dance class, or in quiet contemplation may not be as shiney and bright as browsing on your mobile phone, but it can nourish your body and mind. Making your computer and phone last for longer, and buying refurbished products are another source of sacrifice that leads to ecological advantage.
Just as watching TV, gaming, and using mobile phones gives you a lift, it is possible to find a lift in lo-fi, non tech experiences. Some years ago, I had an elightening experience in meditation inIndia. I spent weeks feeling that everything around me was just as it should be. Buildings that I had once thought were ugly were the proper destiny of a modern people, creative and beautiful even, probably as the architect intended. Enlightenment comes in many forms. Today, most people find their light in technology. That is ok. But we need to be aware of how it panders to the shadow side, and that it eats up resources and energy. Switching to some lo-fi solutions for a few hours a week would reduce your carbon footprint and potentially expand your horizons in new ways. Do you dare to shake off technology, and shake off your shadow?
Sarasvati Flow 