Digitalization is Inevitable
By Amon Ito
Technological advancement has been occurring ever since the day a caveman invented a wooden spear. These advancements made life easier, and over time branched off into something we call digitalization. In many cases digitalization is not a problem for countries that lack the money or have not yet hoped on the bandwagon of individuals that enjoy high definition television or first person shooters on some video game console. People observe third-world countries and their standards of living with disgust or pity, but in certain fields we lack the feats to survive. The value of using our five senses to perceive things such as nature and its beauty is decreasing, and the experience of physical interaction is starting to become a burden for some. We are beginning to favor quantity over quality, as seen most often on networking sites such as Facebook or Myspace. So how do we start creating a much stronger bond with reality? I don’t believe that option is available for us anymore. If by any chance we take away the element of technology from our lives, people will become confused and insecure of their situation therefore the advancements must be promoted as it enhances our daily life and keeps us sane. Becoming reliant is a very hazardous route since it requires absolute trust, and we have come to a point where digital technology keeps us alive. The more useful they become the more we utilize, expecting them to be under the control of the human user at all times, and we continue to overlook the fact that electronics do have flaws. They are not tools that can satisfy a person forever, and when they do become advanced enough to gratify our every need, we no longer have control of our physical self and the machines control us. Digitalization is inevitable and will consume a majority of the world with waves of technological advancement. Factual interactions will be substituted by digital representations, diminishing the value of physical interactions.
Alongside the process of evolution, advancement in human intelligence happens. Though we have come to a point where we have not yet shown any physical alterations we surely have grown mentally over the years. Technology is a very accurate way to prove our mental growth ever since we actually became a human. Simple equipment to protect each other such as spears and knives made of wood and stone have become deadly firearms that can instantly pierce through the human flesh. The pace in which we are advancing reassures us that upgraded versions of digital technology will be invented one after another as we tear down boundaries and limitations, but how will the physical body react to this? Even giant industries that make mass amounts of their products to distribute to all the consumers started out as a form of physical labor where physical interaction was necessary, but now factories are mainly run by machines that are capable of working much faster than any man. With this type of mass production, we find ourselves lacking natural resources to compensate for the amount produced and we begin to see a significant decrease in quality and effort put into the construction.
We see this in most fast food restaurants such as McDonalds and Wendy’s. Starting off as a top quality burger joint, we find ourselves purchasing French fries that consist of chemicals to make it taste like French fries. “A McDonald's French fry is one of countless foods whose flavor is just a component in a complex manufacturing process” (Fast Food Nation) The results of over using machines has overwhelmed us with comfort and ease of sitting back and watching mindless programmed electronics do work. Since we started utilizing these machineries, characteristics like laziness in humans began to increase. Before we started relying on machines, being lazy was not an option for survival. Before meals were cooked in microwaves, we were required to endure the daily activity of hunting and cooking just to stay alive. We treasured even the smallest portions of food and valued life more than ever. Now that are standards of daily life have been set to the digital way of life, we live behind barriers and digital representations.
Though I speak of this digitalization like we are attempting to live life the wrong way, I know that it is also inevitable. After being able to put our hands on an opportunity like digital technology, we will continue to grow.
The emotional aspect while absorbed in the digital world is easily disregarded since the individual’s perspective is switched to the character on the screen. This feeling is called disembodiment, where the individual feels as if they are not inside their body but viewing the world through another person or a digital representation. Knowing how easily we can become entertained by digital technology also shows how vulnerable we are to these machines. “Games like Medal of Honor from WWII, give you "strong feelings of determination, rage, valor, patriotism, and strength because you feel like you are actually serving on the front lines for something you believe in." (Emotions in Videogames). The individual playing the first person shooter Call of Duty genuinely feels as if he is at war. The way videogames manipulate your state of mentality illustrates how deeply it affects our every day life.
The body cannot live without the mind. Having opinions and judgments are what makes us human, and our ability to evaluate our surroundings help us interact with one another. Imagine a game that manipulates your whole body, similar to The Matrix where the characters “jack in” into the “matrix”, a computer world. If a digital world can control the way we think and feel, it probably will advance enough to make us feel satisfied. Though a life where everything you need or want is brought to you in the matter of seconds would be like a dream come true, there most definitely is a flipside to it. Studies show that the production of technology, which has the capability to interact with our thoughts directly, is being constructed. “Thanks to the rapid pace of research on the BMI, one day these and other individuals may be able to feed themselves with a robotic arm and hand that moves according to their mental commands” (Science Daily). Many significant aspects of the human body are connected to the brain, making that particular organ much more valuable than others. But balance is key in order to maintain a fit both mentally and physically. The easier it is to access and utilize a piece of technology the more we abuse it resulting in less physical labor.
The element of change has a deep impact on the growth of the digital life as well. Change stimulates our mind, as we tend to become unsatisfied with things easily. We demand new things, and this is what keeps companies like Apple busy researching upgrades. The way we hunger for bigger and better things makes the process of reducing the use of technology impossible, and the advancement of technology inevitable. It is in our nature to create new things and as we become smarter little by little, we are mainly becoming smarter in fields that consist of something digital. Video-games these days are open for all ages, whether the player is a young child or a grown man, the gaming industry have made a wide range of games to fit everyone’s needs. But the amount is not enough to satisfy people for more than couple months.
The gaming industry is pressured by time due to a high demand in a unique video game, something that no one has ever played. A very big topic that most game designers focus on is the difference between the prequel and the sequel of a game. They capture the consumer’s attention by allowing them to view things that were not possible before, dramatizing how much the two games are different while complimenting the sequel. As long as we have the craving for change, digitalization will prolong.
The invention of these various digital equipment have arguably made our lives easier in terms of communication, social networking, etc. but where do we draw the line? Or will we even be capable of stopping this constant progression? We have ventured deep enough with digitalization to sit back and observe our situation, but nothing can be done to stop it. Most interactions done digitally are mental, drastically lowering the significance of the physical being. Our natural reaction to change and the way we are vulnerable and sensitive to comfort may lead digitalization towards an appalling direction, but we may unconsciously find ourselves at home living in a digital universe.
