Reading Hayles’ Unfinished
Work from Cyborg to Cognosphere (2006) I started to believe that becoming technologically
literate and savvy was actually an evolutionary stage. It is interesting to think of our
relationships with machines and technology as a type of symbiotic relationships
such as the ones found among animals in nature.
“Cultural beliefs and practices are part of this co-evolutionary dynamic
because they influence what tools are made and how those tools are used, which
in turn affects who we are as biological organisms, which then feeds back into
the co-evolutionary spiral."
When Hayles described machines and technology as being
ingrained in culture and human history I considered the extent to which I am
dependent on my technology, how it runs my life, and ultimately the ways in
which I have become my machines. Just
last night I found myself using my IPhone as my television remote control
thanks to a handy dandy application. Delving
deeper into Hayles’ article we learn that society’s dependency syndrome is the
first step to becoming one with your machine.
Upon further reading it is apparent that the ways in which our
construction of knowledge, as well as our relationships with the world and others
are deeply affected by the development of this cyborg culture.
So how am I a cyborg?
Besides having text thumbs, carpal tunnel cramps, and being obviously dependent on technology for the
daily functioning of my life, it is apparent that I now have to make a conscious
decision to unplug myself as well. I did
not always have a cell phone or a laptop…so why is this so difficult? Reading, conversations, studying, even waking
up in the morning has changed for me as a member of this cyborg culture. The way I perceive the world is essentially
prejudiced by how I am informed by technology. It
is getting to the point that technology is influencing the way we think, and
process information (i.e., students now being able to digest material in sound
bites or snippets). My intellectual prosthesis is removing biological limbs and replacing
them with robot arms with the advent of new informational patterns. 
It's amazing how quickly we have become dependent on technology considering the length of time that it took for the technologies to be developed. Even those of us who are new to using laptops and cell phones on a daily basis cannot imagine what life would be like without those conveniences. I wasn’t aware that there was a TV remote app for the iPhone; this is an interesting example of how newer technologies now work with older technologies. This kind of pairing of technologies really opens up possibilities for new conveniences—this makes me think of a futuristic house controlled with voice commands. Part of my hesitation with getting a Smart Phone is that I do not want to become dependent on technology for everything (it’s bad enough that I need my Tom Tom GPS to tell me how to get almost everywhere, just because it’s there). I still consider myself a cyborg, however, because I also use technology for nearly everything.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable isn't it...and when you think of technology and cyborg culture in terms of writing our identities it's mind blowing! According to Hayles & Thacker...change the code and you change the body...you change who you are.
DeleteI like the idea that you mentioned of consciously deciding to unplug oneself from technology -- it's so strange that the paradigm has shifted from working consciously at incorporating technology to now working consciously at putting it aside. I can definitely attest to feeling naked without my cell phone, laptop, or ereader. However, this issue is present only for a select group of people who can afford the conveniences that technology provides. In many parts of the world having a smart phone, laptop or tablet are considered luxuries, not necessities, and I often think of this during our class discussions. The conversation seems insular in the sense that most people don't have agency over personal technological devices, yet they are at the mercy of global monitoring systems, clouds of data, and international information networks. The issue of 'agency' thereby seems to be an important one when discussing our level of interconnectedness with technology.
ReplyDeleteYou've made some great points Megan! I have never considered how limited our class discussions actually are in this respect. It really goes to show you how Amero-centric our perspectives are with regard t technology. I keep thinking that because of globalization technology will eventually affect the lives of those who have not experienced it yet anyway. Regardless of their exposure to it mainstream perspectives and information about people/parts of the world devoid of technology are still changed by it. I think that is the reason I have begun considering how I am prejudiced by my use of and exposure to (or even dependncy on) technology. While we understand that technology connects us to the rest of the world in so far as providing some information about it we do not consider that this is the only relationship we have with it. The relationship we develop with the world...this perceived interconnectedness...lies only in the information we have through this medium and nothing else. We believe it to be real because through this information/knowledge we feel as though we have developed a closeness with the subject it represents because we know something about it when in fact we are farther removed from it because we stop exploring believing we have all we need at our fingertips.
ReplyDelete