Our relationship with technology shapes our worldview and values from "summary" of Program Or Be Programmed by Douglas Rushkoff
The technologies we use are not simply tools to help us accomplish tasks. They are not neutral entities that exist outside of our lives. Instead, our relationship with these technologies plays a significant role in shaping our worldview and values. Every time we interact with technology, we are engaging with a set of underlying assumptions and biases that have been programmed into the technology by its creators.
When we use a search engine, for example, we are not simply retrieving information. We are also being guided towards certain sources of information and away from others. The algorithms that power search engines are designed to prioritize certain results over others, based on a complex set of criteria that reflect the values and priorities of the engineers who created them.
Similarly, when we use social media platforms, we are not simply connecting with friends and sharing updates. We are also participating in a system that is designed to capture our attention and keep us engaged for as long as possible. The business model of social media platforms is built on advertising revenue, which means that the algorithms that power these platforms are designed to show us content that will keep us coming back for more.
Our relationship with technology is not a one-way street. As we interact with technology, we also shape it in return. Our preferences, habits, and behaviors are constantly being tracked and analyzed by the technologies we use, and this data is used to refine and improve the algorithms that power these technologies. In this way, our relationship with technology is a feedback loop that continually reinforces and shapes our worldview and values.
If we are not aware of the ways in which technology is shaping our worldview and values, we run the risk of being programmed by it. We risk losing sight of our own agency and autonomy, and becoming mere cogs in the machine of technological systems. To avoid this fate, we must approach technology with a critical eye, questioning the underlying assumptions and biases that are built into the technologies we use, and seeking to understand how our interactions with technology are shaping our worldview and values.
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