“Although we created it, we did not exactly design it. It evolved. Our relationship to it is similar to our relationship to our biological ecosystem. We are codependent and not entirely in control…We are now all connected, humans and machines. Welcome to the dawn of the Entanglement.” (W. Daniel Hillis   251)

Above, is the text I chose that resonated with me the most, and one I saw to be the most applicable. I translated this quote quite literally and read it as a deeper explanation of the belief that we as humans have become codependent on technology. A reliance that it is becoming a questionable necessity. Society seems to have a growing fear of what is next in the future, and the irony of it all is that the fear is sourcing from the suspense of what is next to come in the modern tech world. One huge controversial question that is so heavily discussed is when do humans reach the point of becoming too reliant on technology? That’s a question many of us are waiting to discover the answer to.

With being born at the very end of the 90’s (99′), I have a really narrowed sense of what it was like before tech devices were introduced into the average person’s everyday life.   I notice that now that I have reached a point in my life where I can notice small indicators that the world is so different than it was even just 5 years ago. For example, I remember when I was younger my entire family would go on a road trips. Before these road trips my mom would go on the desktop computer and print out paper directions from the MapQuest website. Now, my mom is an avid GPS user through her IPhone & can have directions to anywhere in the world, at any given time and place in seconds. One recent Facebook post I stumbled across this week stuck in my mind and caused me to question this “entanglement” belief a little more. This Facebook post was posted by my friend’s older sister, and it was a picture of her 2 year old  toddler at the airport with a t-shirt that said “Just Give Me The Tablet And No One Gets Hurt”. At first, I laughed and obviously it’s a cute baby in a funny t-shirt, but then existential me kicked in and realized that it seemed kind of sad. Here, is a 2 year old who has already grown immune to being entertained through a screen to find a sense of comfort.

Many are afraid that the new generation will grow too reliant on technology, and so much to the point where they cannot support themselves. Either to the point of not being self sufficient or even more feared, is to be overpowered by technology. Whether we like it or not, we as humans are reliant on technology. Of course, the extent will vary from each individual but as a society we are constantly living off of and growing from interactive devices. For example, our healthcare in the modern world has come lightyears from what is used to be, and certainly would not be possible without the developments the tech world has brought. In an article written on the topic of the internet and the impact it makes named “Dare, Care and Share” by Tor Nørretranders inputs the simplistic phrase “Use it, share it, pick it when you need it”. I believe this is a smart approach on the ongoing debate on whether humans are getting carried away with technology or not. Emphasizing “pick it when you need it”, and fully understanding that we do not necessarily need all forms of technology, but the utilization of immaculate tech developments that you could use should not be neglected. Another point made in the same article, is that even going back centuries in human history we can identify our repetition of creating waste and exploiting resources that were and are limited. A relation I find in both the quote above by W. Daniel Hillis on the “dawn of entanglement, and “Dare, Care and Share” by T. Nørretranders is the sense of blame to be placed more on humans as a whole. Not only are humans to blame for their fear, but also are in total control of it.

I think it is particularly interesting that all three texts I had chosen have mentioned the tie between the human race and the relation to technology becoming a part of our emotional beings. In the first quote listed above, W. Daniel Hillis explains his belief that technology has evolved in the same manner that humans have. Our relationship to technology and its advancements are almost identical to our biological ecosystem in the sense that it is intertwined with the way we live, and we give and take in the same way. Ironically, the “give and take” belief can perfectly relate to Tor Nørretranders belief of the internet being a gift economy. In which is explained to be a given exchange of a valued good that, and when exchanged there is no expected payment of any form to be returned at a specific time. The last article named “Upload Has Begun” by Sam Harris also relates to the belief of the oddly personal connection between tech devices and humans. One of the most important line from this text is the last sentence it ends on which reads “even in my case, an honest response to the Delphic admonition “know thyself” already requires an Internet search”.  This only emphasizes the belief that acknowledgment of our own personal choices can be vital in creating the changes society longs to see with technology. We are given a copious amount of tools all at our fingertips, and whether we choose to use it the right or wrong way- is up to us. So derived from all read texts, one can conclude that it’s up to moral judgment to differentiate what being taken and given is too much. Along with majority of resources and choices our society uses and takes- there should be a given emphasis of moderation for all types.

Part 2:

One expert answer I chose was an article written by Tor Nørretranders named “Dare, Care and Share”. Here, he explains his perspective on The Internet and describes it to be seen as a “gift economy”. A gift economy is a form of exchange where the value of something is not to be traded or sold, but given without a direct agreement for a future or immediate payment of some value. In the second paragraph he elaborates more on his theory where states “The simple insight that there is so much more knowledge, data and wisdom out there than I can ever attend in a lifetime, shows me that life is not about collecting information into a depot of books…Use it, share it, pick it when you need it. There is plenty out there”. I specifically think that this text is the most obvious in articulating that Nørretranders believes that “The Internet” (interactive technology in general), can be incredibly useful that is- if we utilize it the right way.

Another response I found written by neuroscientist Sam Harris labeled “The Upload Has Begun”, is where he articulates his theory that the Internet is a powerful tool that has, and is rapidly changing society. He also inputs his personal experience to reflect on said theory. Harris explains one experience he had where he once found himself looking for a specific passage written by Adam Smith. He considered looking through his entire house in which he explained held thousands of unorganized books. He eventually concluded that he could save himself the time and type up a cluster of words into Google and have access within seconds. He later follows up this memory and reasoning by saying that more or less everyone has inevitably become some level of codependent with the internet. Harris explains that he has noticed that he does rely on Google to back up his own thoughts, and could occasionally be defined as “lazy”. In my opinion, a vast majority of people can be found having their own time when they’re considered lazy. Towards the end and after describing some of his own personal instances Harris closes his article by stating “But even in my case, an honest response to the Delphic admonition “know thyself” already requires an Internet search”. Leaving the impression that people can be losing their true identity and reaching the one broad fear of becoming too reliant, but only if they allow it. Acknowledging and being blatantly honest with one’s self and society as a whole, will play a key role in our future’s fate with becoming embedded with interactive devices.