Friday, July 17, 2015

Technological Philosophy

I did a lot of really cool stuff today, but it is past midnight here and I'm too tired to spend my time picking out which pictures to show you all. I will work on it tomorrow morning. Right now, I will type a about the saying "Technology disconnects you from the world." 

Technology often actually connect you to the world more. Using the internet, you can see moments from the past and the present at any time. You can have a conversation with someone on the other side of the world, isn't that amazing? The virtual world connects you to more of the world than was ever possible before technology existed. And yet...

Why is it so often disrespectful to be using technology at the dinner table? Why people frown when they see a circle full of people on their phones? Why do grandparents sigh when all that their grandchildren can talk about is the new version of the iphone?

The virtual world is a real world. The physical world is equally "real". I think that those who grew up without the virtual world believe the physical one to be more important. I agree, but technology doesn't disconnect you from the world. It distracts you from the physical world, yes. Imagine you are in a room. Then you walk towards the doorway of another room, intending to walk into it. You are still in the first room, but your attention is focused mostly on the second room, although you have yet to enter it. You can't completely "walk into" the virtual world, but you can move towards the doorway. Modern technology lets us do that more and more. But when we move towards the door of the virtual world, you pay less attention to the physical world.

Maybe when people refer to the world, they mean the Earth. But if that is so, then unless you are launching into outer space, technology isn't disconnecting you from the Earth.

My conclusion is that technology distracts you from your immediate physical surroundings, instead inserting you into the vast virtual world that is not constrained by the limits of third dimensional space. If you are alone, you can join with people. If you are with people, you can make yourself alone. Everything in moderation.

Now I am very tired, so I'm not actually giving this a second read-over. I hope it's okay.


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