technology and human evolution...or something like that... sort of...

How much of who we are is influenced by the technology we encounter? We can sit back and deny the technological advances which are prevalent like the i-pod or mobile phones with this widget and that gadget and even be deemed a 'technophobe' by social standards; but, in the end our denial or acceptance of an invention, a social norm, a custom or technology inevitably molds us into the human being which we present daily to the natural world. This commentary may warrant a sarcastic 'way to point that out captain obvious,' but to date, the ability for humans to interact in a modern, urban (and even agricultural or rural) world relies heavily on technology.

Technology isn't just the computers, mp3 players or wide screen plasma tee-vees, but it is the whole of the un-natural world-- public transport, pencils, shoes, glasses, umbrellas, printing presses, silverware, handbags, rubbish bins, shower heads, detergents, and bottled purified water to name just a few. Why is it then when a new technology is developed there are many people who cringe in fear at the possibilities, who worry about the 'change' which will come? What are we so worried about or afraid of? Pain is a part of life (we cannot experience or know pleasure without having known the opposite). Challenges and hardships happen to every one. Unrest, growth, stagnation, joy and all other types of life 'moments' are all part of the human experience. The change which technology brings about is just another 'moment' we experience; if we open our eyes and look into ourselves at these times then we will realize that how we react to technological advancements, societal or cultural change is simply a response to our own issues: losing security, fear of pain, loss of love, status or wealth, concerns at how others will perceive you, et cetera.

In the past, (think of the controversy surrounding the 'truth' the Church indoctrinated into human ideology about the world being flat) there were technological advances like the wind mill, yokes, the wheel, rope, spear heads and even fire which would have frightened humans of their respective times; but, there would have been others who saw the undeniable, sociocultural evolutionary potential for such technologies to advance a civilization. Looking back at those advances, we now barely recognize the astounding achievements these technologies brought to human culture because they are viewed as 'old hat' and we are so used to their presence that they are taken for granted. Maybe eventually one day the 'scary' or 'difficult' or 'controversial' technologies which have been or are being introduced into the world such as alternative forms of energy (solar; wind) cloning, space travel, mobile phones, hybrid cars, the latest greatest mp3/4 player, computers, water purification systems, et cetera will all be passé.

We cannot live without technology (unless you are running around naked through life, foraging for food with only your hands and teeth to eat.) As explorers discovered on their sea travels that they would not fall into a black, abysmal hole at the edge of the world thus learning the world was not flat, but round and tilted on its axis, so it may be those technologies, theories, beliefs and ideological systems of our times will shift into new arenas in the future. The latest greatest gadgets available for sale today are just another stepping stone in the human evolutionary process. Each new discovery takes the knowledge bases that were once established and shifts them forward, outward, backward and sometimes, depending on what you believe, simultaneously on parallel planes of existence.

We as consumers have the choice to select which forms of technology we employ in our every day lives thus determining and defining our place in the universe and developing who we are. And as that consumer we determine which technologies will last through time and which will be made obsolete; so, hopefully we will not be driven by our personal fears and concerns about change and will be conscious of what we censor and how we vote when those technologies are employed to effect a whole nation.

Technology is just another aspect of living as humans in the world. We can whinge and moan about it all we want, but in reality, if we choose to live in a '1st world' country, then where would we be without it?