Retreating into Technology

Stefan
Stefan
Sep 4, 2018 · 3 min read

Why society suffers when we don’t pay attention to life.

Last week, The New York Times reported that Toyota is investing $500 million into Uber’s self-driving technology.

Finally, someone with the guts to invest in autonomous tech.

According to this, Uber will be using a fleet of Toyota minivans to test out its technology, relieving the ride share company of having to supply it’s own cars. The investment represents Toyota’s eagerness to make autonomous vehicles a reality.

When I first read this, my initial thought was, “What for?” After all, one of Uber’s self-driving cars killed a pedestrian in Arizona last year. Now, one might say, “but think of the innovation that could be possible; plus, won’t investments improve the process and safety of the technology? Think of the benefit it would provide: to not be preoccupied with driving.” And I would counter, “why not just invest more in public transportation so less people have to drive?” And it’s possible this hypothetical person in my head who keeps me up at night (I promise I’m okay) would answer, “but what if I don’t want to be around people?” And that, ladies and gentlemen is exactly the problem.

Now I’m not saying 100% of the population acts this way, or that this trend will bring about the apocalypse.

What I’m saying is… it will bring about the apocalypse, or at least an apocalypse.

However, it does worry me that we, as a society, are slowly existing apart from each other, unwittingly. This is the byproduct of some technology — we’re becoming the creepy isolated society from Fahrenheit 451! Sure, we pass each other on the street, but technology in the past decade is making it easier for people to withdraw into themselves.

Danger, danger.

The most ubiquitous example of this (and seemingly harmless) is when people walk around with ear buds. Whether they have “airpods” or full headphones, it seems everyone needs to listen to a podcast or a song just to motivate themselves from their door to the car (or to the bathroom). Where some might see this as efficiency and 21st century multi-tasking, I call it being a loner. From a practical standpoint it’s somewhat dangerous to walk down a street unable to hear a car skid, a siren roar, or an attacker approach you from behind. You leave yourself vulnerable, like an unguarded breadstick at Olive Garden.

That’s also on fire.

The other danger deals with how we communicate and connect as humans.

Whenever I see someone with ear buds, I know they don’t want to be bothered by others. It’s really a perfect way to close yourself off from social interaction- be it for positive or negative reasons. Short term it may be convenient for you but long-term it’s bad for me (i.e. us). It depletes society of the glue that holds it together. Someone with headphones on the bus may not notice the teenager being bullied or the elderly person being cussed out by an unruly passenger. At that point, the ear bud person is useless: they can’t interfere nor serve as a witness.

Self driving cars amplify this problem because they promote further the idea that “the less you have to pay attention to, the better.” If we no longer have to pay attention to the cars and pedestrians, to whom will we honk at and curse? That’s sometimes the only social interaction people get.

In the end, society is not served by technology that makes it easier for us to retreat into ourselves. It’s ironic that the Internet brought so many people together across the globe, yet for all its connections, they are each insular in nature; we tend to think only of ourselves. I suppose it seems only natural that we would mimic this inclination in our real life. Just please make sure you remember what real life feels like - with everyone around you.

In the words of the band Yes, “Don’t surround yourself with yourself”.

Written by

Stefan

Founder of the short-lived "Flip Phones Unite" Twitter handle

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