Technology: Impotent Institutions

Technology: Impotent Institutions

Few today will doubt the power and reach of the internet, and its sublime ability to so effective steer our social lives. For most of us in the contemporary society, computers and information technology has become so integrated in our lives that most of us simply cannot live life ‘normally’ without them. Internet, email, computers, laptops, cell phones, S.M.S, EZ link cards and the like have effectively changed the way we interact, what we value and who we value, even our own language proficiency.

Google Chrome has launch new software integrated into their browser which allows users to edit in real time together on an Excel or word document. This has the potential to eliminate email attachment bouncing. Combine this with live web video feeds; project work might take on a whole new meaning.

I could go on and on about the wonders and marvels of technology and how it has made my life so much better. But I rather talk about what it has taken away from us, how being connected together online has resulted in a feeling of being disconnected from each other offline.

Technological advances have resulted in more and more instances of the ‘medium becoming the message’. Before you jump the gun, let me explain what I mean, I m inspired by Marshall McLuhan version of ‘medium becoming the message’. A medium he says if effectively anything that is an extension of our physical selves. A hammer would be an extension of our arms, wheels, an extension of our feet and cell phones, an extension of our voice. Like all extension I might add, it brings about the notion that something is getting further from something else.

And according to McLuhan, a message is the "the change of scale or pace or pattern" is that a new invention or innovation "introduces into human affairs." Which means that, for example the invention of the cell phone would not bring about a message of convenience but instead the message would be perhaps “people no long being punctual” since they can say “you all go walk around first when I reach I call you”.

On the topic of rampant pornography being so easily available online, the obvious would be, pictures of women are easily available, objectifying women, degrading women etc. But according to McLuhan, that wouldn’t be good enough to be the message, the message I think would be, how a frequent ‘surfer’ of pornography will react or behave when real, living breathing women are around. Can he still remain confident or become shy and reserved. The business of online pornography is a huge multi-million dollar one, which means there are actually a lot of people engaging in this very unhealthy act. Does it have any links to rape, violence towards women, a feeling of powerlessness in men? I don’t have the facts, but I feel strongly that there is definitely a link. The medium has become the message.


Technological advancements are double edged swords, it take great skill and training to wield it safely and effectively as an individual. Currently, technology seeps into the everyday lives of people without them knowing of the darker side of it. We use and use, without knowing that it has the potential to become addictive, and like all addictions, destructive.

Societies have developed institutions to handle its day to day operation. But institutions like family and education took a very long time to develop. Technology has out paced society’s passively created institutions; it has for the large part rendered them no longer effective for the task they have been called in to perform. Family might have socialized its members that looking at naked people having sex is wrong, but what about Toon porn or hentai? Technology has made abortion cheaper and safer, but society’s institutions are still immature as it goes about handling this relatively new procedure and all its excess baggage.
What does it destroy? Like piped water in a village robbing the villagers of bonding time around the well, cell phones robbing people of the need to be punctual, facebook removing the need to ask an old friend ‘How are you?’, these ‘soft’ losses all attribute to the potential defraying of social fabric.

As McLuhan reminds us, "Control over change would seem to consist in moving not with it but ahead of it. Anticipation gives the power to deflect and control force.
And society’s institutions are not really to handle these ‘weeds’, and never will be as long as technology out paces the institutions

I am all for technological advancement, but I only wish that we all would use it wisely and responsibly.
Vernon