“Writing is a step backward from truth”
I choosed a quote by Plato as title to introduce a topic that we discussed in class - the fear of new technologies. Indeed, Plato agreed with Socrates - who never wrote and said that the invention of writing would produce forgetfulness and only a semblance of wisdom - saying that writing was a step backward for truth.
What about today? The world has gone a long way ahead from Plato’s age in the field of technology with all the consequences. For instance, Jonathan Freedland wrote that society is warning about the fragility of memory because it “(...) increasingly stores its collective knowledge virtually, in the clouds, making it vulnerable to catastrophic loss”.
Nowadays technology has been developing faster than never before and society has become overwhelmed by words, losing the ability to discern good from bad, losing connections with family, lack a sense of time and distance, fail to appreciate the meaning of labour and, with that, wave goodbye to all sense of morality and value. And it seems we are concious of this. We express fears about this addictive nature of the socialising (in particular from social network) that took place.
I’m personally afraid about the effects that future technology will have on our personal lives. Indees, in my personal experience, I try to “keep enough” distance from technology. It is impossible not to use any of it, but I don’t want to become addicted. I am aware that for example I can’t sometimes stay away from my phone and when I forget it I get anxious. I don’t like this feeling at all. It would be a good idea doing a step forward and reconcile ourselves with people instead of “smart things”.
What’s you idea?