I like to juxtapose all of my experience with technology onto my most basic 'piece' of technology - my cast iron claw hammer. My hammer extends my natural ability to concentrate directed force. It serves me rather than I, it. Whenever I start to feel uneasy about the intrusive nature of some tech I am using I ask myself "what would it be like if my hammer did that?"
What if every time I picked up picked up my hammer to hit a nail I had to sit through a 5 second advertisement about screwdrivers and wrenches?
What if my hammer stopped working for 5 minutes each week while it 'updated'?
This helps me to distinguish technology that I hold from technology that is attempting grasp me.
Note: I'm typing this comment after only reading part of the article as I didn't want to lose my train of thought ...back to reading now :)
Another great piece, Peco. Coming from a 'hands-on is healthiest' background, a question I would add is something along the lines of: 'How is my use of this technology keeping me from doing embodied things in the physical world, using a variety of tools and methods, rather than one tool and method, electronically or virtually?'
My concern is, for myself included, that all these plastic and glass surfaces have dumbed me haptically. I am currently medicating with chopping board and vegetables.
I'm about 3/4 of the way through Ernest Becker's 'The Denial of Death' and your reference of agency and communion reminds me of what he describes as the fundamental human paradox, that we're individuals with minds of Gods (at least in comparison to other animals), which falls into the agency bucket, and yet we're also food for worms like all the other animals, which falls into the communion bucket. The issue, he claims, is that we construct as much of life as possible in a way to avoid having to be reminded that regardless of what we do, achieve, become, create, etc. in the end we die. It's paradoxical because leaning into the communal reminds us that our end is imminent, but it's also the only way to act in the physical realm to provide something of significance. Some immortal aspect of ourselves that remains even after our physical body is gone.
He gives examples of what life can look like when humans lean too far in either direction in an effort to avoid death-anxiety. In the case, as you describe, of leaning too far into technology, in one sense it keeps our mind off our own mortality, while simultaneously occupying our time and energy so that we're not able to actually do anything of any lasting effect.
Through that lens I think we can best be served by asking ourselves whenever interacting with technology, what am I trying to achieve. Am I just scrolling to bide time, or am I researching a subject that I can use that knowledge for in the communal aspect? Am I reading someone's Substack out of pure entertainment, or am I writing my Substack to spread knowledge that humanity could find beneficial? And I don't think it's ever a pure black and white issue. There will be some times where I really do want to just be entertained, and there's nothing wrong with that. Other times I know I'm just avoiding doing something that I'm dreading or knowing will be difficult.
Thank you, Peco for including symptoms of (un)healthy technology and tech use. My slow, painful resurrection as a ghost in the machine is recent and ongoing. It helps to have an objective way of measuring, to taste the fruit and know the tree.
On YouTube, for example, I've realized that if my tech use is healthy, I don't keep watching videos. If they're any good, those videos kick me out and send me off into parts unknown, igniting my participation in the creative life. If it keeps me trapped and tells me there's no such thing as Narnia, I have my answer.
Thanks again, and I'll be sure to keep this newsletter handy while I continue with my own struggle. Best to you in yours.
I printed out these questions to use with our teenager. Thank you. She thinks we GenX parents are against technology mainly because we grew up without it. It is our job to help her to "discover the experience of what life is like without it." One of the best things we did this year was to enroll her in a drawing class to develop her talent. She's enjoying it!
I also found this article by Andy Crouch to be helpful and it meshes nicely with the notion of agency. "Every time we are tempted to acquire superpowers, we should choose the fullness of heart, soul, mind, and strength instead."
Your story about Ethan and what technology could do with brain implants reminded me of the short story Flowers for Algernon. Your writing always makes me reflect on what I can do differently to separate myself more from technology!
I would posit that real lived experiences (even with technology) and dealing with failure with real consequences is an essential component of awareness and the ability to assess the current and “see” the (potential) future. Our “radar” and the sentinels among us.
There are lessons with technology too but the negative (thus the controlling) feedback loops are dampened. Open ended positive feedback overwhelms and leads to destruction. Negative feedback diminished to the extent that it is not immediately recognized and dealt with, possibly never. If that feedback can be enhanced then that would serve as a real experience.
Fabulous piece. Very much looking forward to your book. The buckets of agency and communion are very helpful.
I think I mentioned this in a previous comment, but I think a lot about a fourth R: Re-envision/redeem. I appreciate the way that you’re exploring this space and thinking about how we can flourish as creatures in the age of machines. In some cases we need to remove ourselves from interactions with machines, but there are often opportunities to pursue integrated wholeness, using technology in support of our goals for agency and community.
I like to juxtapose all of my experience with technology onto my most basic 'piece' of technology - my cast iron claw hammer. My hammer extends my natural ability to concentrate directed force. It serves me rather than I, it. Whenever I start to feel uneasy about the intrusive nature of some tech I am using I ask myself "what would it be like if my hammer did that?"
What if every time I picked up picked up my hammer to hit a nail I had to sit through a 5 second advertisement about screwdrivers and wrenches?
What if my hammer stopped working for 5 minutes each week while it 'updated'?
This helps me to distinguish technology that I hold from technology that is attempting grasp me.
Note: I'm typing this comment after only reading part of the article as I didn't want to lose my train of thought ...back to reading now :)
Another great piece, Peco. Coming from a 'hands-on is healthiest' background, a question I would add is something along the lines of: 'How is my use of this technology keeping me from doing embodied things in the physical world, using a variety of tools and methods, rather than one tool and method, electronically or virtually?'
My concern is, for myself included, that all these plastic and glass surfaces have dumbed me haptically. I am currently medicating with chopping board and vegetables.
I'm about 3/4 of the way through Ernest Becker's 'The Denial of Death' and your reference of agency and communion reminds me of what he describes as the fundamental human paradox, that we're individuals with minds of Gods (at least in comparison to other animals), which falls into the agency bucket, and yet we're also food for worms like all the other animals, which falls into the communion bucket. The issue, he claims, is that we construct as much of life as possible in a way to avoid having to be reminded that regardless of what we do, achieve, become, create, etc. in the end we die. It's paradoxical because leaning into the communal reminds us that our end is imminent, but it's also the only way to act in the physical realm to provide something of significance. Some immortal aspect of ourselves that remains even after our physical body is gone.
He gives examples of what life can look like when humans lean too far in either direction in an effort to avoid death-anxiety. In the case, as you describe, of leaning too far into technology, in one sense it keeps our mind off our own mortality, while simultaneously occupying our time and energy so that we're not able to actually do anything of any lasting effect.
Through that lens I think we can best be served by asking ourselves whenever interacting with technology, what am I trying to achieve. Am I just scrolling to bide time, or am I researching a subject that I can use that knowledge for in the communal aspect? Am I reading someone's Substack out of pure entertainment, or am I writing my Substack to spread knowledge that humanity could find beneficial? And I don't think it's ever a pure black and white issue. There will be some times where I really do want to just be entertained, and there's nothing wrong with that. Other times I know I'm just avoiding doing something that I'm dreading or knowing will be difficult.
Thanks for this analysis. The agency/communion divide (or continuum?) is fascinating.
Thank you, Peco for including symptoms of (un)healthy technology and tech use. My slow, painful resurrection as a ghost in the machine is recent and ongoing. It helps to have an objective way of measuring, to taste the fruit and know the tree.
On YouTube, for example, I've realized that if my tech use is healthy, I don't keep watching videos. If they're any good, those videos kick me out and send me off into parts unknown, igniting my participation in the creative life. If it keeps me trapped and tells me there's no such thing as Narnia, I have my answer.
Thanks again, and I'll be sure to keep this newsletter handy while I continue with my own struggle. Best to you in yours.
I printed out these questions to use with our teenager. Thank you. She thinks we GenX parents are against technology mainly because we grew up without it. It is our job to help her to "discover the experience of what life is like without it." One of the best things we did this year was to enroll her in a drawing class to develop her talent. She's enjoying it!
I also found this article by Andy Crouch to be helpful and it meshes nicely with the notion of agency. "Every time we are tempted to acquire superpowers, we should choose the fullness of heart, soul, mind, and strength instead."
https://andy-crouch.com/articles/our_tech_superpowers_are_no_match_for_flow
Your story about Ethan and what technology could do with brain implants reminded me of the short story Flowers for Algernon. Your writing always makes me reflect on what I can do differently to separate myself more from technology!
I would posit that real lived experiences (even with technology) and dealing with failure with real consequences is an essential component of awareness and the ability to assess the current and “see” the (potential) future. Our “radar” and the sentinels among us.
There are lessons with technology too but the negative (thus the controlling) feedback loops are dampened. Open ended positive feedback overwhelms and leads to destruction. Negative feedback diminished to the extent that it is not immediately recognized and dealt with, possibly never. If that feedback can be enhanced then that would serve as a real experience.
Fabulous piece. Very much looking forward to your book. The buckets of agency and communion are very helpful.
I think I mentioned this in a previous comment, but I think a lot about a fourth R: Re-envision/redeem. I appreciate the way that you’re exploring this space and thinking about how we can flourish as creatures in the age of machines. In some cases we need to remove ourselves from interactions with machines, but there are often opportunities to pursue integrated wholeness, using technology in support of our goals for agency and community.
Have you come across Paul Kingsnorth? With a look at The Abbey of Misrule, particularly regarding the Machine...