Relying on Technology
I went to see Die Hard 4.0 in the cinema last night and while enjoying it, came away wondering how would we all react if the storyline in this film ever took place in real life.
Now I realise it might seem slightly strange to think that discussing anything from an action movie would have any merit, on a Catholic website, but hopefully I’ll be able to explain my reasons for writing about it.
In the film terrorists cause chaos by shutting down all the major computer systems across America, thereby leaving the government and it’s citizens exposed to any possible attack. The story is based on an article called ‘A Farewell to Arms’ , written by John Carlin in 1997, and states that America is primed for an attack like this.
It made me wonder about Modern society and how we come to rely on technology for just about everything. The natural tools that we have to solve problems by using our minds can be easily done by a computer or calculator of some kind.
So where did we go wrong? How did our parents and grandparents survive without needing a GPS system to find the right route to take to work every day or cope without receiving such important text messages as ‘Wot U Doin’?
We do not seem to be able to live without a mobile phone because our social network would apparently be destroyed if we were without it.
A recent survey by Puzzler Brain Trainer magazine found that, out of 3000 people, 25% could not remember their landline number, while 66% said they relied on their phone or electronic organiser to remember key dates.
We can book flights, pay bills and give numerous personal pieces of information over freely and don’t really stop to think who could possibly be reading it.
While science and technology have the potential to create an ideal habitat for humanity over the next millennium, there is a possibility of a monumental genetic hangover over the subsequent millennia due to an over-reliance on technology reducing our natural capacity to resist disease, or our evolved ability to get along with each other.
Dr Oliver Curry Evolutionary theorist of the London School of Economics
With satellite television offering hundreds of channels 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, we become more reliant of what technology can give us and less reliant on interaction with those who live closer to us. The Internet means that we can connect with anyone in the world at the touch of a button and thus make our own community.
In times of natural disasters we see how fragile we really our. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, the people of New Orleans were cut off from their families and the outsides world and left a trail of despair all around the state.
Dr Curry believes that the human race will peak in the year 3000 but then fade because of it’s reliance on technology. Maybe we are showing signs of his theory already.
Saturday, July 14th, 2007 and is filed under Love Thy Neighbour.
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