How the Technological System Modifies Human Beings
Following my latest post that looked at technology and technique and the modification of human nature, I will further examine how the technological system engineers human beings to adapt to its imposed circumstances and manipulates them into serving its agendas. This is a lengthy post and is divided into two sections- psychological modifications and physical/behavioral modifications.
The technological system is the totality of technical methods, techniques, structures, and regulations that constitute modern society and shape how life is lived. It is what constitutes our technological society and existence in modernity. The guiding objectives and values of this system are technological development, technical application, technological progress, efficiency, and productivity. Every institution, profession, corporation/business, consumer, and good and service provided contributes to the stability of this system and its objectives. It is this industrial-technological system, not the type of government or economic system utilized, that has ultimate influence over human life. It is this system and technological development itself that is ultimately responsible for the conditions humans now live under. These conditions of technological modernity, and the speed at which they have overwhelmed the structure of human society, are unnatural to the way humans have evolved to exist. The separation from nature and its natural rhythms; the densely populated conditions of urban areas; the cold, dead environment of our cities and their physical structures; our outsourcing and reliance on machines for every aspect of life; the reduction of our lives to specialized jobs and tasks (needed to ensure efficiency and stability of the system); our increased social isolation and decreased integration with community and family; the mechanized lifestyle we are forced to adopt in order to function in society; decreased autonomy, freedom, and spontaneity- all of these things are counter to our natural state.
Because of the unnaturalness of our living conditions, it only makes sense we would have problems adjusting to this ecosystem (some more than others) and that it would manifest in psychological issues such as feelings of anxiety, depression, meaninglessness, apathy, hostility, aggression, and helplessness. Not only does technological society introduce psychological effects, but physical effects manifest as a less active lifestyle affects health and consequences of injury, illness, and disease emerge from the use of technologies. For these reasons, it is necessary for the technological system to develop methods to modify human beings in order to facilitate their adaptation to these conditions and ensure their functioning in technological society so as to promote the stability of the system. And as human beings become acclimated to technological society, we invariably develop modifications to our behavior. The deeper we enmesh ourselves in technology and technical society, the more modifications occur, changing our natural state.
Psychological modification is accomplished in various forms. Some of these forms take shape in techniques and professions that assist people in dealing with psychological issues. If unnatural conditions, pressures, and stressors under techno-industrial society result in mental health problems, the system must respond by developing ways to deal with these problems. It is in the best interest of its stability to develop methods that allow individuals to function efficiently within the system. Psychotherapy is one method for helping individuals cope with their situation within the system. This is true of any method or technique that is used to optimize psychological functioning. This is not placing judgement on any mental health profession or technique at improving well-being. I am simply pointing out the reality of the situation- that modern methods for improving mental health ultimately help the system maintain stability as people become better adapted to their situation and are able to function more efficiently and productively in society. Thus the system encourages development and application of these techniques.
Let’s look at a specific example to get a better idea of how the system creates psychological issues and then focuses attention on treating these issues for its own gain. Look at this article from Nature, which is a major publication and arm of the techno-scientific establishment https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00296-x. This article in its first section talks about how social media has affected the mental health of adolescents, especially females. The author notes the increase in adolescent female depression since the widespread introduction and adoption of social media and mentions how social media facilitates a “fear of missing out” and relational aggression. He goes on to mention a couple other drawbacks and concludes social media shows “stronger evidence of harm” related to benefit. However, the author in the next section goes on to propose technological solutions for improving these issues such as using mobile phones and building apps to track and collect more data on user’s behavior (mood, social communication, sleep, & physical activity) to give insight on personal patterns that can be used to alert individuals of mental health threats and provide interventions digitally. So the solution to mental health issues being amplified by the introduction of technology (social media) is to create other forms of technology to counter it, all while giving more power to the technological system! Incredible. This is how the system works. It creates issues through introducing new technological conditions at odds with natural conditions that it then must create technological solutions for. Those developing and applying methods (like the above authors) to improve psychological issues are doing so out of good intentions and to ease suffering, but are simultaneously acting as tools of the technological system and ensuring its stability. Thus techniques are applied to modify human well-being to the benefit of the system.
Another form of psychological engineering is propaganda. Propaganda serves multiple purposes. One of these purposes is manipulating individuals to believe in and desire the conditions of the system. Left to their own judgment, the individual would likely reject the structure of technical society. Propaganda is aimed at shaping the beliefs and behaviors of the individual. One form of propaganda most useful to industrial-technological society is advertising. This is a subtle way to manipulate people into wanting what they don’t need and desiring technological goods and services; thus promoting the growth of the system. A modification of human values takes place through advertising in that pleasure, happiness, and worth become attributed to owning and using technological stuff. Any type of advertising works to influence the human being to make choices by subconsciously infiltrating decision making. The subconscious mind becomes primed by exposure to advertisements that influence what a person thinks and choices he makes. This ultimately is in service to the functioning of the system as advertisements influence individuals to want what is provided by the system and to make choices that promote its stability. This is true of promoting consumption of goods and services, promoting behaviors that uphold the system’s structure (ex. voting), promoting belief in the institutions and authorities of the system, and promoting narratives within the system that uphold its stability.
Propaganda is also used to direct the feelings and emotions of individuals. There are two main purposes this serves. One is to direct hostile emotions, aggression, and anger by providing an enemy or object of aggression. Propaganda is used to create enemies, objects, and outlets that individuals can focus their hostile and aggressive feelings towards; which cleverly prevents these feelings from being directed at the technological system. It is also an effective method for keeping human beings divided and fighting amongst themselves. This protects against the threat of fighting against the system and potentially overthrowing it. Propaganda is the system’s way of holding up an object and saying “here is the cause of your issues, focus your anger and aggression here”. This is also the same method used to direct other distressing emotions towards scapegoats.
The other purpose propaganda serves is to direct behavior towards goals of the system. It is able to use propaganda to steer a population into working towards its own needs. For example, think of the Cold War. Propaganda was used to amplify tensions between the US and the Soviets to create an arms race of technological development. It amplified the threat between the nations to encourage technological development and expansion. The driving intention of the countries was to become technologically dominant. Because technology is such a powerful tool for maintaining power, it forces competing groups into developing the most efficient technologies to maintain power and control. Propaganda is key in stirring up the emotions of the public and driving public policy. The system utilizes propaganda to mold the feelings and emotions of the population to serve its own goals.
The mainstream media is the most obvious tool of propaganda the system uses. It is able to promote narratives about reality and steer discourse among the population. Every day individuals turn on black boxes and their smartphones to inform them what is going on in the world. No longer are their senses enough to communicate what is happening around them. They have more trust in what the system says. Media and digital propaganda create huge opportunities to modify and mold what individuals perceive, feel, think, and believe. And this propaganda is now specially tailored and targeted to diverse segments of the population so that everyone gets the propaganda that is most suitable for them. With the widespread use of smartphones and social media, it is now more difficult than ever to escape propaganda. It is fed to us digitally daily. Relentlessly and tirelessly attempting to program our subconscious and what we perceive, think, and feel and how we behave. As the technological tools of the system expand, more and more ways are used to program and modify us.
Other powerful methods of molding and modifying the human being are done through socialization. One of the most important is formal education. Formalized public education as it exists today is a result of technological progress. In order for technological society to develop and grow it became necessary to have a population that could sustain its operation and progress. Society became more complex as it became more technologically developed. Thus it needed a population more intellectually, scientifically, and technologically inclined. The school system serves the purpose of training individuals to be more efficient and productive contributors to the system. It also conditions them to be obedient and accept regulation more readily. Formal education acts as a conveyer belt used to mold individuals into cogs-in-the-machine. Propaganda is also used in schools to condition individuals to accept the values of the system. Success is touted as becoming a productive and achieving member of the system, and this is what school aims to assist with. Educated people and rich businessmen/women are held in the highest regards by the technological society. Why? Because these people identify most with the values of the system and do the most to promote it. The educated professionals through the promotion of technological/scientific progress, application, and innovation, developing and applying techniques to promote the system; and businessmen/women through promoting consumption and production as well as technological development. This is one way the system conditions individuals to serve its agendas.
Physical/Behavioral Modifications
Besides psychologically modifying the human being, the system also physically modifies the human being to adapt to and serve technological society. Let’s take the example of medication. There is no doubt that the modern lifestyle, diet, and exposure to toxic technologies (ex: pesticides, radiation, chemicals and heavy metals like lead) create health problems. To deal with modern health problems created by or heavily influenced by the conditions and technologies of the system, other technologies are created through modern medicine to treat these issues. Medication and treatment regimens are developed that aim to assist individuals in dealing with their ailments. Mostly these solutions focus on treating symptoms. These medical interventions attempt to improve an individual’s situation, allowing them to function as efficiently as possible by physically modifying them through technologically-derived medicine. There are multiple purposes served here. 1) These interventions try to improve an individual’s health to a degree that they can still be productive members of the system. 2) Individuals put their trust in technology/science to cure them which promotes the collective will for more research and innovation. 3) It promotes production and consumption as medicines and interventions are developed, sold, and applied. So we see how technological society creates health issues and then develops technology to treat those issues which further promotes the growth of the system.
The same pattern is apparent with psychotropic medications that treat a person’s mental state. The conditions of technological society create or amplify psychological distress such as depression and anxiety. Medications are then used to modify a person, quite literally chemically, so that they can find relief from their symptoms. This may allow them to function more efficiently and productively for the system. As with psychotherapy, these medications help an individual adjust and adapt to their conditions in technological society.
Considering what has been shared and thinking towards the continued growth of technological developments in medicine and health, it is not hard to envision how far the physical modification of human beings will go in the future. We are already seeing the system expand its mechanical reach through the introduction of biodigital implants. Elon Musk has famously modified a monkey to play pong telepathically via his NeuraLink technology that he aims to introduce to humans soon (https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56688812). This is just the beginning of neurotechnology and other bio-technological advancements that will be ushered into existence by the system to improve the lives of the disabled and sick. Of course, there is a lot of good in this. But it doesn’t change the fact that these advances will be used by the system to improve the functioning and satisfaction of the population so they will further desire and accept the conditions of technological society. It is in the best interest of the system to do so.
Let us also contemplate future technology that can genetically program human beings to not have specific undesirable traits. Or even technology that prevents any feelings of depression, anxiety, or anger. Why should such technologies not be developed? They are more advanced methods for creating a passive population content with their artificial conditions and servitude to the technological system. No matter how fast or slow the complete merger of man and technology takes, we can only conclude we are headed towards a future where human beings are more products of technology than nature.
Biometrics is another technical application gaining popularity to further integrate human beings into technological society. Wikipedia states, “Biometrics are body measurements and calculations related to human characteristics”. In other words, it is technology designed to collect data and information about an individual’s body. Fingerprints, facial recognition, and voice recognition are examples. These are used to identify, monitor, and surveil individuals for differing reasons. It could be to identify criminal activity or identify you as owner of your smart devices. No matter what they are used for, it restricts the privacy and ambiguity of individuals, while giving power to the system. The more information the system has on you, the more control it has over you. The situation the system moves towards is one in which privacy is eliminated and all human behavior is monitored or regulated by technological means. In this future if you do not give up your privacy, you will not be able to operate in technological society. Just look at what the system is attempting to implement because of COVID-19. Its leaders are justifying passports to verify vaccination status in order to allow access to societal resources. And some of these passports are, and there is certainly a worldwide push towards, digital means of verification. The technological system only seeks expansion and growth, and the future it moves towards is one in which all human activity is regulated by technological means. And this movement is always justified by claims of improving health, safety, and the human condition.
Human behavior is regulated in more subtle ways as well. Every time a technology is adopted and integrated widely into society it changes the behavior of humans that use it. Tasks that were previously done without particular technology now become regulated by that technology. Let’s look at automobiles for an example. Ted Kacyznski uses this example in Industrial Society and Its Future and highlights the situation clearly. When automobiles were widely adopted society had to structure itself around this technology. Roads and highways had to be constructed to support their use. Cities and towns modified and built infrastructure around the use of automobiles. And with this came the need for regulations- traffic lights, traffic signs, speed limits, rules of the road, etc. Not to mention you are only permitted, and for the most part capable, to drive where there are roads for you to do so. So your path is determined for you. Thus every time an individual uses an automobile it is largely in a regulated manner that requires individuals to behave in certain ways. They are not legally allowed by the system to operate their vehicle in any manner they see fit. The necessity of needing to use an automobile to operate efficiently in society puts pressure on individuals to follow protocol so they may continue to use this technology. Every time a technology is adopted the human being must change his behavior to meet the needs of the technology and societal regulations that accompany it, and these behaviors become ingrained in normal life.
Let’s also consider the use of smartphones in our society as it has become increasingly difficult to exist without their use. Just about any operation can be carried out through these devices. As more apps and operations are developed for increasing convenience and functionality for individuals, the more of our behavior becomes regulated and mediated by smartphones. What we used to have to do in-person can now be done digitally. Banking, shopping, dating, schooling, jobs and professions, etc. And because it is so much more convenient and efficient, and because of social and economic pressures, there is not much room to choose not to do many of these things digitally.
Another huge aspect of human behavior that is changing because of smartphones and the internet is human communication and connection. Much of social interactions are now mediated by technology. Digital relationships are taking the place of in-person relationships. We often speak to each other not face-to-face through spoken language anymore, but through screens and digital characters. We used to have to socialize in-person, now this can be facilitated digitally through devices. This replacement for real life relationships is not natural and is affecting our behavior and psychology. There are increased feelings of social anxiety and isolation for heavy users of social media (https://www.psycom.net/how-social-media-increases-loneliness/). We can thus see how when technology becomes widely integrated into society it modifies human behavior. The system utilizes technology as a force to regulate human behavior. It is constantly expanding technology’s role in our lives. It will not stop until all human behavior is mechanized and regulated.
A last method of modification that I would like to mention is entertainment. This can obviously take many forms but every form serves the purpose of creating brief satisfaction and distraction from the unsatisfactory conditions in industrial-technological society. Entertainment is used by the system to pacify individuals and to make them more docile to their circumstances. It provides just enough enjoyment and purpose for individuals to continue operating as the system requires. Also, because so many forms of entertainment are facilitated by technologies it further contributes to the growth and expansion of the system. People depend on technology to provide them with entertainment, and this contributes to technological consumption, production, and innovation. The need for entertainment to provide temporary relief from unsatisfactory conditions further deepens human reliance on technology. Individuals devote more of their free time to engaging in technological means of enjoyment. Entertainment is thus used to manipulate human beings to accept the conditions of technological society and to continue their service to the system by contributing to technological consumption, production, and development.
To summarize, technological society engineers the human being to adapt to its conditions and to operate in manners that serve the goals of the system. It develops and utilizes methods of modification that influence human behavior, feelings, perception, and values. These methods are psychological and physical, subconscious and overt. They collectively act to program human beings into serving the system’s objectives of technological growth and expansion over natural life. Individuals are turned into resources for the massive industrial-technological machine. Daily life becomes regulated by the use of technology and machine-like structure. True freedom and autonomy cannot exist within this system. If things stay the same, the only conclusion that can be confidently reached is that all of human existence will be dictated by technology. What is left of the natural human state will be overtaken by technological artificiality. In order to prevent this, we must cultivate an awareness to what is occurring. We must be willing to see how the technological society is manipulating, modifying, and enslaving the human race. Once we see this, we cannot unsee it, and then will be forced to address this predicament starting individually. Until then- “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free”- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Sources:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00296-x
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56688812
https://www.psycom.net/how-social-media-increases-loneliness/