Are Computers making us Dependent?

Why is humankind depending on the computer so much? Like all other questions, there is a simplified version of an answer to this one: the computer is so useful that we can’t help but depend on it. The computer’s qualities are so valuable, so appropriately effective that it has become obsessive. Computers have become a standard component when dealing with daily tasks. From our homework to our friendships, our bank details to our flights, computers have lessened our work and created efficient ways of doing things. However, a not-so-simplified answer also exists: there is something inherently wrong with us, the people who have become so dependent on this gadget. As a modern learner in a generation that is faced with increasingly complex issues, and given the time that I’ve spent in introspective research, it is important to look beyond the general consensus in search of a deeper answer. That’s why I argue that our collective over-reliance on the computer is not just a result of the computer’s ability to hook us but rather, it is a reflection of a human culture that is increasingly prone to dependence. Humans are naturally inadequate. And because of this fact, we are bound by nature to depend on the computer. Consider all the various things that people need to survive satisfactorily: food, shelter, interpersonal relationships, attachment, some sort of deity, security and numerous others. We just have to depend on something lest we perish or live underneath our capacity, and a computer happens to be just another of those things. It provides access to social interaction which fulfills our need for relationships, a platform on which to do work thus providing our livelihood, entertainment to lighten our weary minds and security in terms of cameras and automated alarm systems. So, we are inadequate and need to depend on something, and this something exists in form of the computer. So, true to our nature, we gravitate towards it, allowing it take over and in the process leaning on it. Thus, contrary to common assumption, we are dependent on computers not just because of their addictive attributes but because our nature is in itself a foundation for getting hooked-in effect reflecting a human culture that is prone to dependence. Humans also live in a complex society. In addition to our inherently inadequate nature, our society is so complex that it has become almost necessary to dependent on the computer. This self-created complexity, riding on the wings of over-population and globalization has in turn created complicated webs of bulky inter-continental monetary transactions, demand that exceeds supply and a flow of information that leaves us both dizzy and confused. To deal with this complex haze that is our modern life, we have set our eyes on the omnipotent computer to sort out things and help us make sense of everything. Thus, our collective flow toward computer dependence comes not just from the computer’s attributes but also from our inability to deal with complexity-once again reflecting a human culture that is increasingly prone to dependence. Lastly, human social skills are becoming increasingly questionable. And these feeble social skills of our generation indirectly fan the flames of computer dependence. If the absurd statistics concerning divorce, friendlessness, depression, loneliness, violence, hatred, dysfunctional families, war and suicide are a reflection of our increasingly disconnected society, then we definitely need to work on our collective relational skills. What does all this have to do with computer dependence? Good question: we have tried to escape the awkward weaknesses of our constantly evolving social ineptitude by casting the burden of social interaction onto the computer. We meet friends online, learn online, match ourselves to future partners online, cheat on our spouses online and basically run half our inter-personal responsibilities electronically. Thus, our inability to relate well with each other has formed yet another void for the computer to fill hence contributing in part to the general culture of computer dependence prevalent in modern society. Of course, the major objection to this set of arguments would be that since we can’t live without computers anyway, we should just quit whining about dependence and just get on with life. Yet, that would completely be missing the heart of my argument. I’m neither arguing for a return to Innocent Eden nor for a human resignation to a gadget we can’t avoid. Rather, I’m highlighting the truth that lies in an alternative understanding of the reality surrounding computer dependence. Embracing the truth in such a reality will go a long way in helping us clearly understand the complex issue of ever-increasing dependence on not just computers but also technology in general. On a separate yet important note, this argument is a symbol that as modern scholars, it is important to search for deeper truths as opposed to settling for simple answers since such unquestioning acceptance sets the wrong precedence for our increasingly complex future. Should we continue settling for the milk-and-water knowledge that is handed down to us, it may be impossible to critically decipher and accurately diagnose the future complexities of a planet that we are called to understand. Thus, before we point our fingers to the obsessive gadget and claim that it is a major cause of our dependence, it is important that we also take a closer look at who we are; a look at the human story; a look at the human internal structure. As my view has made clear, the human internal architecture is built on over-dependence and extreme reliance on a host of external resources to aid in our daily activity. The problem is therefore not that computers cause us to depend on them because of their obsessive attributes but that we humans are naturally inclined towards dependence. briannneza@yahoo.com