Losing Mental Sharpness?

                With all the technological advances and the increasing complexities of them, it becomes harder and harder for us to understand what is behind the user interface. When people drive their automobiles, for instance, the great vast majority of them do not know the intricate and yet complex processes that are behind that interface that allow for the vehicle to thrust itself forwards or backwards. The computer interface is another highly complex system that also the great vast majority of the people do not understand the complexities behind its interface as well. Therefore, it is clear that the gap between the complexities of newer technologies and what user does not know about the system has been growing very rapidly. Now that these new technologies have found their way into the social realm of society, creating what Lev Manovich calls, in his work entitled New Media from Borges to HTML (pg. 16), “cybercultures”, it is becoming some sort of a crutch to the people who depend on this interplay between technology and the social realm. It is this very dependency on technology for social means and the dependency on every other form of new technologies that will inevitably bring with it unintended consequences. Is our technology becoming so complex that it will in the long run be too much for us to be able to handle? Especially in situations when such technologies begin to breakdown on us or be used in ill-mannered ways by other people in which they were not intended by the creator(s) to be used?

                In addition, these crutches that newer technologies are giving us are also perpetuating an environment where people being to lose, what I feel, are important skills. Take for instance the word processor and how it is making people forget how to spell, choose the correct words when attempting to say something and also making it easier to forget proper syntax. Texting on cell phones has also perpetuated this same sort of phenomenon because people write in shorthand very often in order to more efficiently communicate their ideas and thoughts with somebody else (e.g. instead of typing in people you replace it with ppl). This makes it easier for ppl…oops, I mean “people” lol…to not have to remember certain things and it keeps their minds less and less sharp in those respects. But because we do not have that burden of having to remember such things, such as spelling, syntax and many other things as well, does open up new room for storing other forms of memory. Such forms of memory might be more vital to keep sharp in terms of adapting one’s self into this ever-so-growing cyber world. Whether the amount of problems solved by new technologies outweighs the number of problems it creates is still very questionable. So if you read this blog, please comment and give me your thoughts on the subject.