Futurist Reading Response Paper #2

Futurist Readings: The Meaning of the 21^st Century Response Paper #2

With every new decade comes new human enhancements: we live longer, grow taller, and become wiser. What if there were machines that could do the enhancing for us? They would allow us to become more aware. With the help of a “bug” in our ear, we would detect liars, the feelings of other’s, and what goes on inside the minds of those in the same room as us. Would this be beneficial or would it create more problems? In his book, The Meaning of the 21^st Century, James Martin states that, “A person might be equipped with a device that has this ability to recognize subtleties underlying emotions. You may get an electronic warning… that the person with whom you are talking is lying, is emotional, or feels nervous about the way a business negotiation is going.” (Page 200) How would this type of knowledge benefit the human race, or would it at all?

With the help of technology, we could surpass problems that have held us back. We could unravel the mixed signals we received from the guy or girl across the room, and we could finally figure out if that person was really lying or not. Yet, I do not know if all of this would be worth our while. “By the time the Transition Generation ages, parts of the human race will be substantially enhanced, and the social consequences of this will be enormous.” (Page 198) Enormous social consequences: are they worth it? This line stood out to me, because it made me wonder what life would be like if we all were powerful and full of knowledge. Would we be like robots who are programmed with information? Would there no longer be a reason to learn? If we were all equal there is also the possibility of intense competition that could be detrimental to our society. All of these issues could destroy our society. Are we willing to sacrifice our prosperity? Our care and concern for others and what they are truly trying to get across may not be of importance anymore. We would lose the desire to learn and understand others. Without the need to discover the true emotions and feelings of others, we would be cheating the system of normal human social interaction. There would be no need to talk and question, to flirt or put on a show. Our thoughts, opinions, and emotions would be laid out on the table for everyone to see. Our privacy and personality would be violated. This may seem like an exaggeration, but when everything we have to hide is already exposed, would our relationships and friendships grow or diminish?

There is an experience that we all have lived through. It is the feeling that you get when you have done something wrong, or you need to lie to cover up what someone isn’t supposed to know and you have planned the whole story in your head that you are going to tell your mother, friend, or other loved one, and right when you finish, or midway through your story, they tell you that they already know the truth, and all that you needed to hide was exposed. I think that may be one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. When my feelings or secrets are exposed to the one person I want to keep them from, I feel as though I don’t know what to do with myself. I think with these little machines comes power, a power that is now in the hands of others and no longer in your mind and heart. This relates to the loss we would experience if everyone around us knew all that we held inside us.

So what are we to do as people of an up and coming technological world? Do we allow for these mechanical objects to take away our secrets and feelings, or do we oppose them? The future still terrifies me, and I still do not have any answers to my questions.