I’m nearly one hundred percent sure that the majority of people in this country, even globally, recognize that technology is gradually becoming more and more integrated into today’s society. There are many arguments that support the humongous advances in technology, while there are also a plethora of arguments that attempt to prove that the latest advances in technology prove detrimental to our society.
Throughout my reading of Rousseau, I happened to stumble across a couple quotes that all point toward the fact that the advancement of society (which is directly linked to advances in technology) is destroying the ability of humankind to function as it once did in its most primitive state. Now of course I am not saying that we need to return to a time where we slept in trees, hunted and gathered our food, or spoke an unintelligible language. However, through a complex and in-depth analysis of history, one is able to see the following characteristics exhibited by primitive humans: self-sufficiency, basic knowledge and understanding, a motivation and desire to survive, and a sense of pity that Rousseau states binds all humans together, no matter what distinct differences we hold. These four distinct characteristics, in my humble opinion, have been eroded by the progress of our society which has been quite handsomely facilitated by technological innovation. Rousseau saw this idea even in his time, which in comparison to today’s society, can be almost interpreted as the Dark Ages.
(This graphical representation shows the comparison between global population growth and the number of internet users. As you can see on the x-axis, which is representative of the year, the global population has increased at a steady rate of approximately 1 billion people every ten years. More surprisingly however, is that the number of internet users has exponentially grown. Between 2000 and 2010, the number of internet users jumped up by approximately 1 billion people. Between 2010 and 2020 (predictive), the number of internet users will increase by about 3.5 billion people. This graph is meant to convey the fact that technology is becoming a more and more dominant and pervasive sector in our lives, and will thus lead to a population more and more reliant on its inherent ability to control, advise, and formulate their lifestyles.)
There are two prominent quotes that I would like to draw undivided attention to, and they are as follows: “In becoming habituated to the ways of society and a slave, he becomes weak, fearful, and servile; his soft and effeminate lifestyle completes the enervation of both his strength and his courage,” and “this author should have said that since the state of nature is the state in which the concern for our self-preservation is the least prejudicial to that of others, that state was consequently the most appropriate for peace and the best suited for the human race” (Rousseau 51,61). In my analysis of the first quotation, it seems readily apparent that Rousseau is stating that human strength, courage, and resolve are becoming enervated by the progression of society away from traditional nature, of which man originally flourished. Because of this, their innate tendencies that they once exhibited in nature become obsolete, and a new set of tendencies are developed that are a direct product of the society in which they now live. In a state of nature, as mentioned previously, man must become self-sufficient and adaptable, as well as vigilant and strong. Technology today has eroded all of these tendencies, and I will explain why. Self-sufficiency is attained through a sense of desperation, isolation, and solitude. This may sound terrifying to many individuals, but that is because they have developed a tendency to rely on technology for sustenance and survival. Only in a state of complete isolation will man be able to transform himself into an ingenious hunter, gatherer, and survivalist. In a world where all the information one could ever ask for is at the touch of a finger tip, adaptability is not a necessity. When put into a tough circumstance, such as becoming lost on a road trip or wandering around a city, an individual can simply pull out their phone, open a navigation application, and be on their merry way. This is simply not true for a natural habitation. In nature man is constantly challenged by ever changing circumstances, and therefore must alter his plans of action constantly. Not only does this increase his aptitude of vigilance, but it also augments his physicality (including strength). Because technology is so convenient and attainable, it even makes a bike or walk journey to the local library burdensome and irrelevant, thus contributing to the deterioration of human physicality. Everything humans could ever want is accessible from smart technology that they can utilize laying on the couch or sitting in a chair. It is in these ways that the human population has actually fallen into a state of regression rather than progression.
The day of common knowledge like fixing a flat tire, easy conversion principles, and basic navigation is becoming eroded, creating unintelligent human beings that are becoming more and more reliant on technological devices that put us in a place of servitude and slavery. The day of imagination, playing in the park with friends, or creating forts out of pillows and blankets is giving way to Angry Birds, Doodle Jump, or binge watching on Netflix. The day of physical exertion is replaced by watching an intense sports game and then claiming that it “tired you out.” The day of self-thought and free speech is becoming replaced with extremely prominent and corrupting bias in many news corporations. I’ve tried my best to relay the imminent dangers of technological advancement and usurpation, but like Rousseau’s attempt, it will most likely go unheeded and ignored, and I only speculate that time will tell whether or not the human population will be able to shed the invisible shackles that perpetually bind them to technology and its ever intoxicating grasp.
Word Count-992
Image link- http://www.futuretimeline.net/21stcentury/images/2020-internet-users-graph. jpg
Works Cited
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques, Donald A. Cress, and David Wootton. Basic Political Writings. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett, 2011. Print.
Jonathan Ellett 