The Shadow Side of Technology
As early as 1934 Carl Jung warned that technology, as related to the development of consciousness in the human psyche, was advancing at such a rapid rate that man could not slow down and contemplate unconscious images, such as from dreams and revelries, allowing these images to inform the conscious state.
Jung writes that “The tempo of the development of consciousness through science and technology was too rapid and left the unconscious, which could no longer keep up with it, far behind, therefore forcing it into a defensive position which expresses itself in a universal will to destruction.”
One can easily infer that Jung, very aware of the drumbeat of World War II early on and forever marked by his involvement in World War I, was deeply influenced by the martial drumbeat of technology. Mankind’s “will to destruction” was quite evident throughout the twentieth century. When Jung died in 1961, nuclear warfare seemed like a real possibility.
As psychologist Doug Tyler writes in “Some Thoughts on Technology as Shadow”(Jung Society of Atlanta), Jung’s words can been seen as a perfect coda to the pervasive, global influence of emerging technologies that divert psychic energy to primarily “conscious and materialistic pursuits.” The net effect is that we ignore our relationship with the unconscious. We become an extension of our device, our social circle, the hits and likes and sleepless nights.
Tyler writes that we adopt a more rigid extroverted thinking at the loss of other functions. The feeling function is taken over by ego desire and “imagination, that wondrous tool of intuition, is rendered passé. When we are unconscious of these shadow effects, our relationships become increasingly wider and shallower. Personal relationships are often no more than transient moments of data sharing. I am because I amplify myself.
Jung wrote about the dangerous consequences resulting from a conscious/unconscious estrangement and this “mirrors what occurs in person-to-person relationships when we do not devote adequate time and effort to take in each other.” Jung writes about psychic energy and the rhythm in inner and interpersonal dialogue. Rhythm is an inner feeling of connection and perhaps this is what we seek through amplification of ourselves through technologies. But as Tyler notes, “when we divide ourselves too thinly, our rhythmic experiences are interrupted and our connections weaken — akin to a psychic brownout.” We risk becoming increasingly splintered and less integrated.
Increased use of technology and the abundance of screens available to us can result in elevated inflation. The more we engage with devices as a substitute for face-to-face dialogue, the more our psychic energies are channeled towards the device. Everything, every wish, and every desire is one click away. Tyler writes that “From a shadow perspective, our devices mirror our ego desires and our soul, our inner essence, is exiled to the unconscious.” Furthermore, we imbue these devices with numinous qualities, godlike in their range, reach and proximity to my touch, ear and eye. I can’t live without them. Perhaps there is a touch of Icarus in this, as we reach for the stars, chasing images always slightly out of reach.
Jung reminds us that when we become infatuated with one side of an archetypal presence, our psyche tends to correct the imbalance. One solution, of course, is to become conscious of the shadow working inside our collection of technical wonders. And there is evidence that educators, psychologists and some tech companies are becoming more conscious of the dark side of technology, particularly involving children. It is perhaps a psychological truism that, if we don’t become aware of the shadow in our devices, “we will grow increasingly estranged in our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the psyche.”
Devices, such as smart phones, project and absorb. They are in and outside of time. They represent an extension of our consciousness, connected but independent. They display and control space. They are numinous to the touch and desire. As Tyler notes, devices are archetypal and other-worldly, connected to a universe of platforms, able to penetrate beyond the horizon arc. They can become my myth and my meaning, both at my fingertips while I am taking flight.
In a similar vein the book “Zucked,” about Facebook’s shadow side, argues that the fundamental pathway to the platform’s financial success is to exploit the users’ “bad” behavior. Facebook’s marketing and business plan are essentially psychological, an attempt by the platform to leverage technology in a way that exploits, monetizes and takes advantage of the types of aberrant behavior that makes us all vulnerable. And this effect is global in reach and damage as the social platform threatens to become a mirror of our worst instincts and what Jung called our psychological complexes. These are unconscious beliefs, instincts, and feelings that remain under the surface because they have not been dealt with and made conscious. Social media has become a perfect dumping ground, incubator and launching pad for our complexes. Our complexes have found a welcoming home on the dark web. We witness the effects of this daily in our communities. Social media is a willing and robust incubator of the worst features of our shadow side. At times social media can have a murderous intent.
Technology is taking on increasingly human forms with robots expected to replace humans in wide swath of jobs in the next two decades. Alexa and Siri talk to us, as if they are old friends. Soon they will know as much or more about our health as our family doctor. “The Robots Are Coming” by Andres Oppenheimer presents this “humanization” of technology in great detail. With this development we are likely to retreat further into an unconscious, atavistic state, unmoored and railing against the dying of the light.
The marrying or layering of AR and AI will make a range of fictions or alternate realities readily available. We are already seeing that faces, gender and age can be swapped or altered in real time, often in a very convincing manner. Speaker Pelosi is not the only one who should be concerned.
Perhaps Oppenheimer is prescient when he suggests that psychologists, psychiatrists and spiritual advisors are some of the professions that will likely escape the inevitable workplace disruption by technology.
They will be sorely needed.
