Homework Help | How Technology is Changing What It Means To Be Human

Among all the different technologies invented by the human kind, the smart pone technology I a form of personal computer that carries a mobile operating system as a well as an integrated mobile broad

Mainly, smartphones are capable of running a variety of third party 

Applications of software components provided by such places as Apple APP. Store, the Google paly store and this allows them to receive different forms of bug fixes as well as other additional functionalities in the form of operating systems software updates. 

The relationship between smartphone and human beings

Ideally the smartphone is supposed to be a piece of technology that makes it easy for people to run and manage their lives through easing of communication and other connectivity related functions. Unfortunately, in the words of Downes, this piece of technology has led to the development of a culture of disconnection and distraction for the human kind instead of enhancing them same. For instance, smartphone should be aimed at provision of software applications hat help in the management of the different aspects of human life in order to increase both efficiency and communication. However, the technology has revolutionized the entire human culture of socialization and interaction and this is where the irony starts. For example while the smartphone helps us to engage in different conversations with different people probably at once , it has begun to take us form the present moment thereby lowering the quality of real life in person interactions with each other thereby leading to the phenomena of digital human being.

The Digital Human

From the time immemorial the human being has always been fascinated with the development of different tools and technology for the purposes of making his life both comfortable and easy and enjoyable. James et al (2015) reiterates that the endeavor has seen the human technology evolve from the elementary stone tools to the latest of the smartphones and many other technological devise. However this technological development has pushed the human raced in to the brink of a new challenge. For example according to Lawrence (2014, pa. 898), at the moment, it is very interesting to note that at the current world, technological advancement has made it hard for the human race to decide for sure or to state with clarity between humans and technology to tools, who created the other. Did humans create tools and technology or did tools and technology create humans? This critical issue has rose from the stark reality that the development and evolution of technology had increasingly hard to state wit certitude that both the human race and technology are mutually constitutive.

Essentially the dictates of common sense would ascertain that, without human the different tools and other advanced pieces of technology would not be available. As a result there is need for the human kind to remain or keep and maintain its basic characters as human kind in order to preserve the capacity and ability to develop new tools and technologies according to the future needs. However, it the human kind it going to depend of tools and technology for virtually all their aspects in life is this to say they have become a part of the technological revolution themselves. Well, a hard question to answer. Consider this, man-made automobiles to make his commotion for one point to another manageable. Thomas  explains that automobile cannot function without a human drive at least as of now; does this make the driver part of the machine? That aside, the mere development of different tools and technology by human kind has been driven by necessity which many have come to christened as the mother of all inventions however, if the human kind grows dependent over technology for all their needs, and then would technology the emulsifier of all human necessities other than curiosity? Then what would it be to be human? For example tool are never natural or neutral, instead they are overly shaped by human context in their design and adaptation which drives all the technological development based on the human desires for efficiency and drive for the best design which are all driven by the human nature. Hence, have technology and the use of other tools about to alter the nature of being human for all?

Perhaps at this point we need to pose a little question, what does it mean to be human?

Well, the nature of being a human being is characterized by the strive to be objective over all matters, imperative subjectivity, emotions, needs, wants, desires in addition to a host of other attributes. In this regard, we need to acknowledge that some of the universal human attributes are undesirable or tedious and cumbersome in many ways which drives the human kind to strive to make and develop different tools and technologies in attempt to improve their case or cover for the unnecessary attributes. In this perspective, tools and technologies are designed or should be aimed at meeting the different envisioned human needs while at the same time helping to create new ones but to replace the nature of human beings. 

For example different tools and other pieces of technology have been responsible for improving and influencing the course of human development even at their evolutionary and physical level. However in another dimension, one school of thought holds that one is what they do! Therefore,  if human use technology and tools, then their lives are no longer human but tool and technology oriented. Well, the true or false answer to this question may be relative. The truth of the matter is tools and technology can create and alter life. Take for example the impacts of biotechnology. According to Kanter the use of technology has altered the human life through four levels of what can be termed as human technology relations. In the first level are what can be termed or referred to as embodiment relations between technology and human kind. In this perspective, technology has profoundly impacted on the sensory or perceptive aspect of human life. Secondly there is the hermeneutic relationship between technology and human kind under  different forms of technology have combined to influence the different representations of different spheres beyond the natural human scope of perception such as the invention of the map.

Subsequently, Fuery  reiterate that the development and tools and other forms of technology has impacted in human life through alteration of relations in which perspective, through technological advancement the human kind has benefited from idea of technology experience in the form of ‘other’ as manifest through the use of avatar and computer games which simulate a different experience in life or have the potential to take us out of this world. McDonald (2012, Pa. 67) argues that the development of background relations between technology and human kinds as manifest through heating, lighting systems and other associated technologies and tools.

Conclusion

Technology is profoundly changing what it means to be human. The potentially smallest piece of recent technology; the Smartphone has impacted out human life too many that human relations are increasingly growing blurred. This has been so because human nature follows a basic maxim that what you use you gains more of it but what you don’t use you lose. In this regard, the more human life gets absorbed or amplified the use of technology, the more their nature of human life grows “dehumanized”. 

 

Author's Note

The article was published on/in/at the Homework Prospect