Minds shaping technology shaping minds . . .
On a recent train journey to the airport I noticed some workers carrying out roadside maintenance duties. Those with appropriate tickets manoeuvred trucks and excavated marked areas of land while others with shovels and other non-ticket related items waited for their opportunity to return to their tasks.
The train of thought that followed quickly gathered in a multitude of otherwise independent ideas that aggregated into a new view of our society’s apparent direction; one in which our ability to engage with our general surroundings is driven by our capacity to harmonise with technology.
Technology pervades ever deeper into every aspect everyday life and as each everyday item is given an operating system or Bluetooth connectivity, our ability to use the item and its new functionality is limited by our capacity to adapt our thinking to both this general trend and to the specific mode of operation provided by the device’s manufacturer.
I realise it’s a chicken and egg thing but if the device’s functionality is aligned with our (ever changing) thinking, then we can usually adapt to it quickly – we feel it’s been designed “intuitively”. The more entrepreneurial among us may even identify new ways to use the new functionality, whether intended or not. But if we don’t “click” to the device’s underlying philosophy we may well discard the item as dis-functional, just as some people prefer the usability of iOS over Android and vice-versa.
If we turn that around and assume that technology will continue to extend its reach and, consequently, we are continually forced to adapt our thinking to the overall direction, we can take a somewhat Orwellian view of society as being split into distinct classes based on our capacity to function in such a technological world. i.e. the technology starts to outpace us.
As an example of these classes, there are still those living among us who manage to live essentially outside technology. They’re increasingly rare as each new generation is born into a more technologically developed world and must learn to adapt earlier than their parents. These people use technology only when necessary. Technological integration is limited to those mainstream items such as televisions, microwave ovens and the like, perhaps up to a mobile phone and its computer equivalent functionality. If technological means become the only means possible then they often enlist the help of others or actively avoid the issue. I have family members in this group so I know they do exist!
Then there are those that interact with technology through employment or for entertainment. These people are spread through society from call center worker to CEO. They use technology regularly but should something go wrong, they may well become frustrated or completely lost. They have typically learnt, or have mastered, a sequence of keystrokes or button presses that enables them to expeditiously complete a task or a game level but their thinking, technologically speaking, is constrained by the system. If the system fails them they have no recourse.
Lastly, there are those who understand technology and use it as a tool. These people understand how technology fits into the current and near future landscape. They may or may not understand the nuts and bolts of the technology, they may or may not design or develop code for the technology, but their thinking is in alignment with the technological direction and this is very much to their advantage. If their efforts are for the benefit of society at large, so much the better!
The current progression from machines to thinking machines will chart a new course for us and reshape society in its wake. Our minds shape the technology which, in turn, shapes our minds.
Where do you see yourself in this Orwellian future?