How we can stop letting technology define us
Douglas Rushkoff is a digital theorist who has written many books on humanity and technology. He also hosts a show on NPR where he discusses real-world issues surrounding technology. Rushkoff makes two main points in his article. One of them being that technologies have become so integrated into our world that we sometimes overlook how they might be affecting us. The other point he makes is that we need to start looking at technology from not just a STEM perspective but also as a liberal arts education. The article talks about how algorithms are shaping us as people. Our feeds are tailored around us and our personal information. Therefore everyone sees different information that is personalized to them which, can lead to division.
The article connects to why we have a curriculum at GVSU about creating humane technology. We as students need to be more aware of the impact social media and other sites have on our brains and our society. The Center for Humane Technology works to create legislation around technology company’s power and educate the public on how harmful these platforms can be. Their mission is “to drive a comprehensive shift toward humane technology that supports our well-being, democracy, and shared information environment” (The Center for Humane Technology). This company was also featured in the Netflix documentary the Social Dilemma which, looks at how social media is negatively impacting our lives. Reaching the public is crucial in creating more ethical technology because if people do not realize that what they are using is harmful, they will continue to use it. Digital Studies give us a liberal arts education where we can be taught the importance of representation, identity, and equality.
This article connects to technochauvinism because it does not believe that more technology will fix the problems we are facing. Instead, the author believes, we should take a more holistic approach and focus our attention on the humanities and liberal arts. Meredith Broussard also agrees with this sentiment with her saying “Computers have become so pervasive in every aspect of our lives that when something goes awry in the machine, we assume that it’s our fault, rather than assume something went wrong within the thousands of lines of code that make up the average computer program. In reality, as any software developer can tell you, the problem is usually in the machine somewhere” (Broussard). Once we start to humanize the technology we have created, it will lead to a greater sense of oneself.
The author’s thoughts and ideas can help digital studies programs grow with critical thinking and media production. We can start to change our behavior around digital technology, resulting in creating more ethical technology.
