Technology's Future Psychological Impact

I understand what you are saying about technology a hundred years ago not having a big effect on people's lives. As many posters have said, this is erroneous, but this could be a matter of semantics more than a conceptual error. Back in the good ol' days a far greater percentage of the general populace understood the workings of their basic implements, as there were few extremely complex examples outside the realm of academia that had far reaching effects.
Obviously the railroads and firearms industries are the best examples of technologies being implemented by massive numbers of the general public without an acute understanding of the minutiae involved. Yet even the simpleton of the day had an understanding of how to utilize these tools, just not how to produce them.
The concept David is attempting to elucidate is one more subtle. Correct me if I am wrong, but this seems to be a matter of our world shifting more and more towards a division of labor society. One of the last men to be a true expert in every field of academia was Gottfried Wilhelm Liebniz, and he was an intrepid genious of the first class. The world since his time has become more complex on an astronomical scale and at a staggering pace. It is simply impossible for anyone to be able to learn, in intricate detail, the dynamics of our modern world.
The concept does not end here, it only shows how, as the world becomes more intricate, we will find ourselves more and more detached from our own sustaining technologies.
The psychological effect will be one of universal bewilderment. Except for those who sink into their own area of expertise, and maintain only a working knowledge of those things whoxh are required for our mutual survival.

I want to keep thinking and writing, but responsibilities pull me away

Cambraceres

[Stu Pidasso]

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I wondering what effect this will have on thinking people.

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They will have more to think about.

Stu

[ZeeJustin]

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I believe that I'm using the only reasonable definition of technology; products and the tools used to create them that make life longer or easier.

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Yet again, you have missed the point entirely.

[Borodog]

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I believe that I'm using the only reasonable definition of technology; products and the tools used to create them that make life longer or easier.

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Yet again, you have missed the point entirely.

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Enlighten me.

[The4Aces]

i think he is talking about like computers and stuff. the digital age.

[peritonlogon]

I'm not sure if I'm off topic in this reply, but an inquiry about the changing roles of technology in people's lives and people's understandings of those technologies, must include the concept of technologies and tools as "extensions of man" as put forth by Marshal McLuhan in "Understanding Media." (a book which has more B.S in it than any book I've taken to read seriously since I read Aristotle). I think that, right now, we're at a point where the precise way in which technology will become part of us is unclear. As an analogy for what I mean by this, the tool that delivers a blunt, quick force underwent much transformation before it became the hammer that is used by carpenters today that is carried around with instant access for the dominant hand that also doubles as a prybar/nail puller. But electronic technology is much more complex, and there are many many more paths it could take before it becomes as seamless in our existence as the carpenter's hammer is in his. The Ipod, a few new multipurpose devices like camera phones and perhaps even Skype, are offering already a dramatic movement toward seamlessness, and they are really just the begining. So exactly how technology will change people's lives is still unclear as exactly how the technology will change is not determined yet.

As far as people's understanding of the technology they use goes, I think one major difference with electronic technology is that, even if someone knows a lot about a thing, and understands it well, often that person just can't fix it. So, along with there being a lack of understanding of the technology and it's general principles, there is also a lack of power over it even for those who do understand the thing. This change almost gives the electronic tools in our lives a life of their own (albiet a disposable life). Along with this life like quality, the experience I feel when the Internet is down/cuts out, or I have to run a virus scan or restart my computer is not unlike dealing with a person in my life that is bothering, ignoring, or leaving me. There's anxiety, helplessness and the results of pure rage are usually quite bad. I have never had experiences that mimic people with any other type of technology, not cars, books, powertools etc. I think the reason for this is that interacting with information technology often does not allow a person to have mastery over the tool. It feels like we are at the mercy of this thing which often feels like it has a will of it's own, but in any case we are its servant and we are forced to come to terms with this in a way no other technology has required us to do.

[Peter666]

Obviously technology will turn us into unsociable blithering idiots as its major end conciously or subconciously has always been the creation of an anatomically correct sex robot available en masse for masturbation purposes. We have almost reached the zenith.

[peritonlogon]

I liked a lot of what you had to say on this issue. This part bothers me though.

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One only has to look at automotive technology to see that the day of the shade tree mechanic is over, not because necessarily he can't understand the technology, but because the tools needed to work on it are so specialized and expensive that it does not pay to do so for just oneself. And we live in a frustrating time where it is cheaper to throw away many defective products, than to fix them, even assuming a willingness and knowledge to do so.


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This is a bit of conventional wisdow that has come down the line and is largely false. First, the reason why many of the very sepcialized tools exist to fix your car is so that 1) the job of fixing your car can be deskilled and therefore require a lower paying job and 2) so that people have to return to the dealers to have their car diagnosed so that you are required to return and spend more money THERE.

Secondly, the reason that we throw so many things away and that it is considered cheaper to do so is a result of consumerism, not the technology. Things are made so that the same product can be sold again and agian. In fact, the primary reason why people lack the willingness to do fix things is a product of consumerism and marketing efforts. The world we see in America today is not the only one that could have been with the technology we have. Social movements have had a big impact on the form our technology has taken.

[KeysrSoze]

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Obviously technology will turn us into unsociable blithering idiots as its major end conciously or subconciously has always been the creation of an anatomically correct sex robot available en masse for masturbation purposes. We have almost reached the zenith.


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Yeah, exactly. Star Trek, for instance, is really off-base. If humanity had ready access to replicators and holo-decks there sure would be less of that whizzing about the galaxy that the show depicts. Hmmm, go on risky exploration missions to study boring gaseous anomalies light years away, or stay in my virtual heaven banging super-models for the rest of my life? Tough decision. I think Ian Banks "the Culture" series hints at this some: 99.99% of the population would be shut-ins letting automated systems run things, leaving a handfull of non-conformist misfits to muck about on starships and such. Of course, the "not satisfied with fake reality" gene is going to be selected and prosper after a few generations to counter this.

[Borodog]

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I believe that I'm using the only reasonable definition of technology; products and the tools used to create them that make life longer or easier.

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Yet again, you have missed the point entirely.

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Enlighten me.

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Still waiting.