After reading “Technophilia” by Kevin Kelley, I was met with a few solid points. First off on the first page, it talks about how the daughter had her technology taken away. She then became ill which I think is a bit crazy. However, when I lose my phone or can not find it I freak out a little just because it holds all of my information and because it is an expensive piece of material. Also, it talked about how people may have the same loving feelings for an animal, in this case, it was a cat, as much as they do for the internet which seems a bit excessive as well. The writer also voiced their concern for robots, however, they were not too worried about the robots and were more worried about humans becoming dumber and therefore leading to chaos. It also talked about how we came from such simple pieces of technology and technology does not have to be just a phone or a robot. A few questions I had was if it was actually true that robots are taking care of old people in Japan? That is just a crazy concept to me. My other question was do you feel worried that the world is moving too fast with technology and are you worried at all? My last question is when talking about the cars in the reading do you think they thought of that technological advance the same way we think of robot’s technological advancement?
3 ideas that I UNDERSTAND:
Page 1 paragraph 2-3. Biophilia is a human’s natural love and attraction to nature and living things. I can agree that a nice, blue sky or an amazing view from a high mountain are parts of life that give us a natural high. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that technophilia would be a human’s love for different types of technologies. I can also agree that I’m attached to my phone, TV, video games, etc.
Page 4 paragraph 1. Joan Didion describes the Hoover Dam as a dynamo free of man, or free from humans. This is why it is such an admired landmark that always attracts so many people each year. It is intangible and can only be appreciated by humans through our eyes and our sight.
Page 7 paragraph 2. Newer cities are considered by most to be ugly or places that aren’t too much fun because there isn’t much going on and there aren’t many places to go. Big cities like New York and Los Angeles always have new things coming and going and they’ve been there for so many years. It takes time for cities to become popular destination spots.
3 QUESTIONS I have after reading:
Page 3 paragraph 5. What does Joan Didion mean when she said, “… so explicit as to suggest nothing beyond itself” when referring to visiting the Hoover Dam?
Page 6 paragraph 2. Do others agree with Kevin Kelley when he says, “… the technium contains all of life’s inherent beauty – waiting to be uncovered” and if so, why?
Page 8 paragraph 2. Why are people attracted to “fossilized learning” or experience when it comes to technology?
The author Kevin Kelly makes a good point by connecting our basic love for animals and nature to our love for technology. “Maybe our technophilia is merely biophilia in disguise. (Pg 3, Pa,2)” Humans have a deep connection with nature, from our pets to house plants and wild animals we might find on our property. We have compassion for living and moving things, and so technophilia is a product of our deep love for nature. Two examples given in the text were the Hoover dam and the Blastolene’s cars.
One concept that is mentioned in the text that I find very relatable to the modern day, is how we look around the negatives associated with technology for the personal benefits. “We rebel at the negative costs of this interrelatedness, and its negative externalities such as pollution. (Pg 7, Pa 1)” Humans since our first craftsman have always cherished their tools and the time they spend working with them. We find ourselves becoming so accustomed to certain items we can leave the house without having it on our person. At the same time these technologies which we take for granted and dispose of in some instances have a negative effect on the world.
One concept that I could agree with is the idea of machines and robots becoming a very large part of our society in the not so distant future. “Machines win our hearts with every step they take in evolution. (Pg 9, Pa 2)” We already rely heavily on the machines that we use but what will come of us when there is a machine or “robot” that changes your baby’s diaper for you. We will at some point or another become fully dependent on the machines that we engineer and manufacture.
If the human race will never stop manufacturing new goods and producing disposable goods will we ever be able to reach carbon neutrality?
Since we have such a strong connection with our phones and our parents and grandparents and such a loving connection with their cars and motorcycles, what will our children find most interesting?
Do the benefits of the Hoover dam and all others like it outweigh the negative consequences of their building? How can the manufacturing of some dams be justified while other plans for building are put on hold or stopped altogether?
On page 1 para 2 and page 9 para 2, Kelley talks about how humans easily anthropomorphize things around them. It relates to our biophilia, we love living things and want to care for them. We anthropomorphize inanimate objects all the time. People will affectionately refer to their car or boat as their “baby,” and treat them as much. They nurture their vehicles as if they were living because we love living things. We want to love things and feel as though we’re being loved back.
Oftentimes times we’ll form that emotional attachment and integrate it into our personality. On page 5 para 2, it’s mentioned how people like doctors or writers form an attachment to the profession-specific objects they use every day. It feels like a part of them. The MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle refers to them as “evocative” objects.
Technology has advanced so far, nowadays we have solutions for everything. Tired of scooping your cat’s litterbox? You can buy one that does it for you. Vacuuming? Roombas. Typing in a Google search? Amazon Alexas. On pages 6 (para 3) and 7 (para 1), Kelley discusses how now that technology has become useful, people want it to be beautiful. That’s why we have sleek Macbooks and colorful keyboards with keys that light up when you use them. People don’t want to use something “ugly,” they want it to be visually pleasing and lavish.
With advances in AI and our emotional attachment, could becoming “friends” with your phone become a reality? Why do we give inanimate objects feelings and thoughts, when living beings are right there? Will we ever collectively acknowledge our technophilia and think more objectively about ourselves?
One of the things in this article that made sense to me was the feeling of something being missing when you are away from your “love”. The thing that you go everyday with, and when it is gone it feels like something is missing from you. I think everyone has something that they feel this way about and being able to understand what that is and how you feel about it is really important. The second thing that made sense to me was the feeling that technology, specifically, wants to be loved. Technology is constantly around us and is a massive part of the life we live. And those that create technology know what to add to it to make it something that we cannot live without. Being able to see the changes in technology over the years, just shows how important it is for us as humans to have it. The last thing that made sense to me is not understanding the love someone has for something, like you don’t see what there is to love, however you can understand why there is love. Many people I know like things that are very different from my view and tastes. But I can completely understand what it is about those certain things that make them so lovable and something that they cannot live without. Being able to appreciate and understand the control something has on someone is very important. Knocking down their feelings isn’t helpful, but being able to understand helps them feel seen.
The questions I have from this reading are, if we know technology is taking over our life why are we still so in love with it? Have we ever stopped to think about what this love is doing to ourselves and to our future? And will there every be something that take over the top spot of love, over technology?
Ryan Kelly
Prof. Jessie Miller
Communications 110
7 September 2023
Journal #3
The first concept I want to talk about is what is said on page one, paragraphs one and two. It talks about just how addicted people, especially young teens and children, can get to technology. It goes on to talk about how in one case it was so bad that when this young girl’s parents took her phone from her she instantly became physically sick. Now this does sound a little far-fetched, however I find that when I am bored and have nothing to do, I think about scrolling on social media on my phone. The second concept that stood out to me was on page four, paragraphs one, it talks about how humans evolved due to constant new innovations and ideas, such as dams. However, even though most of these new inventions and innovations in technology are meant for the greater good of humans, we don’t always take into consideration how it will affect the other living organisms. Even though dams provide a massive source of energy that we convert into electricity and also can help with crop irrigation, they “frustrate the return of single-minded salmon and other spawning fish, and indiscriminately flood homelands.” The third concept that stood out to me was on page seven, paragraph two, where it states that over the course of time humans will “find it easier to love technology” and that “machines will win our hearts with every step they take in evolution.” This was kind of scary to me, don’t get me wrong I would not be able to live without technology, but I’m worried as to how that will impact the employment/unemployment rates in the future if we keep making advancements in technology that make our lives easier. My first question is based on the quotes from page seven, paragraph two, and is are people more scared of or excited for what technological advancements that future may hold? My second question stems from page one, paragraph one, and is since phones can cause withdrawals just like drugs and alcohol can do, should there be an age restriction on phones, and if so what would that age be? My third question arose from page four paragraph one, and is should we try and move to more environmentally conscious renewable energy sources?
When I was counting the page numbers I got one wrong, it was for page seven paragraph two, the page is actually page nine paragraph two, but I cannot edit my original comment on this.
“Our transformation from smart hominid into sapiens was midwifed by our tools… we are embarrassed to admit it, but we love technology” (Page 1, Para 3)
Our transformation into the creatures we are today was only possible by our inventions and the things we have brought into the world, and as for today it is the same, our attitudes and life’s are shaped solely by our technology and what we have created.
“Almost anything manufactured will have adoring fans. Cars, guns, cookie jars, fishing reels, tableware, you name it” (Page 4, Para 2).
Everything that has ever been created by man can and most likely will have a fan base behind it and people to support it, the human population falls in love with their objects and what they create. They will even create multiple groups for the same type of objects.
“Today, at the start of the 21st century, there are tens of million species of tools and technologies at loose in the world…” (Page 6, Para 4).
There is over multiple million types of technologies created in the world, and we will constantly be making more technologies while we progress as a human species and constantly evolving. With around only 5% increase of new technology every year.
Is humanity more excited or scared of the possibilities of new technology that may emerge in the next few years?
What types of technology is there still to be discovered or what possible types will we come up with? Is there even any need to keep creating new technologies for society?
Since technology has become almost like a third leg for us as a society, will there ever be another invention that gives us the same happiness that technology does?
Bernie Mulcahy
Professor Miller
Communications 110
7 September 2023
Page 2 Paragraph 1
Not only in the first paragraph, but throughout the whole page and the next page the author writes about the human attraction, specifically male, to cars and other automobiles. He then talks about how he once went to a car show and noticed how everyone else there was so attracted to the cars and automobiles but he was not feeling the same way that they were about them. This shows that the attraction to cars is similar to how people are interested in technology and that “technophila is merely biophilia in disguise.”
Page 4 Paragraph 1
On this page the author brings up the Hoover Dam and brings up the fact that even though it is breathtaking and loveable, people can still hate it. He also says that no dam is eternal because at some point, water can rise above it and make it useless. This compares to the fact that some technology that people love will not always be enough, we will need to expand the technology that we are making.
Page 5 Paragraph 2
Here, the author talks about his realization for his love of technology. He is no longer embarrassed that he loves it because of its beauty and the fact that he can just get lost in it. He believes that it is more alive than we think as he says “thick as a jungle” and “the web smells like life.”
on page one, paragraph 2 and then again on page 3 paragraph 3 Kelley explores the idea that while the evolution of technology is fascinating, it’s scary how in love we are with its evolution. This is explored through the common theme throughout the essay of biophilia and its relationship to technophilia. I think that this is shown in real life through something also said in the essay itself, how humans show affection towards AI animals like dogs. A question I have about this would be will AI eventually replace our love for real animals?
> DANGEROUS AI:
on page 4 paragraph 2, Kelley brings up the idea of a dam. He starts by going into detail on how beautiful these manmade dams are just for “single-minded” fish to flood them. This relates to the idea in the next passage over of how rivers have minds of their own, implying that AI could inevitably take over if we’re consumed by our ideas that they’re more fascinating to study than dangerous for our future. This makes me wonder how fast is AI advancing?
> ART/BEAUTY:
The idea that a robot is art as discussed on page 6 paragraph 3 astounds me. I would have originally never considered them to be, but throughout this essay Kelley discusses many forms of these enigmatic machineries and their many levels of human endearment. On the same page and paragraph Kelley even goes as far to say that their existence is beautiful, proving to us as the consumers that even he himself has fallen for this seemingly innate capability to feel technophilia. This makes me wonder if we will soon be pushing that boundary further, if the line between art and machinery will be more blurred than it is right now.
Technophilia by Kevin Kelley I believe is about the understanding our physical emotion and the reason we may feel or act a certain way towards objects like if they were a person. The reason this occurs is because of biophilia. “This hard-wired, genetic affinity for life and life processes ensured our survival in the past by nurturing our familiarity with nature” (page 1 par 2). Kelley gives a really good example for a modern area issue with children and their cell phones and how they react if their phone was to be taken how they would begin to feel very sick. Another good example is the love for classic cars. “It was a peculiar moment, but so explicit as to suggest nothing beyond itself” (page 3 par 12). Not only that but has scientific proof from scientist in labs. I think my favorite part about this short story is how the writer gives such good descriptions of the moments and classic automobiles that you almost can get an image in your head as if you were right there in that moment. In the end I think this writing gives really good info to help the reader get a good understanding.
Evan Glynos
Jesse Miller
CMM-110
9/7/23
Journal #3
In the reading, what I found really interesting was on the first page about how humans are “endowed with biophilia, an innate attraction to living things” (Page Para ). I believe this is true because humans do seem to get an emotional attachment to living things such as pets. Many humans including myself do get an emotional attachment to pets, and do treat them as a best friend even though they don’t talk back to you. With many couples and single people treating animals like they are a child to them it alters the brain chemistry into thinking they are caring for a child and it creates more of an attachment. One thing that caught my attention and made a lot of sense to me was the fact that a love for something in our lives that we can’t go without is the use of technology. This caught my attention because I am the same way with technology, I struggle to go a little bit of time without using technology. The use of technology has definitely impacted my life because of the use it plays in my daily life. Without technology people wouldn’t be able to do work nowadays and wouldn’t be able to go about their daily lives.
Some questions I have are: Why does the brain get altered to the caring of animals such as a child? Another question I have is Why do us as humans have a love spot for technology?
I understand seeing humanity in technology. Many people name and talk to their household appliances (the specific example that comes to mind being a roomba, or a virtual assistant). It is similar to the way we humanize animals. A crab, which is incredibly dissimilar to a human, bats something with a claw, and we say “it’s grumpy”. Our fridge makes a weird noise, it wants to get our attention. People love to give meaning to the behaviors of other things.
On the front of page 3 is the quote “We think with the objects we love, and we love the objects we think with.” This makes a lot of sense, as someone who has used the exact same mechanical pencil for almost all of my work on paper for the entirety of my college career. I would be really upset if I lost my pencil, and things don’t feel the same if I try to use a different one. I know my tool, and I use it for both schoolwork and artwork.
On the back of the third page is the quote “the goal of every robot, and every machine and tool, is to exist for its own sake. To exist not only because it is useful, but because existence is beautiful.” And the last line of the essay states that “technology wants to be loved.” These remind me of Data from Star Trek. An incredibly advanced android whose journey is about seeking his humanity. It is a key part of his character that he is more than a tool, that the purpose of his existence is to live; to make his own choices and forge his path. He was built in the image of his creator. I think Data is a good example of our own humanity being reflected in the technology we create. We exist for our own sake, and because existence is beautiful. We want to be loved. Data is the same. It makes sense that the things we create in real life are likewise a reflection of ourselves. Wanting to take part in the beauty of existence, and to be loved.
Questions
Where do you think the beauty in “places that reveal layers of time” comes from?
What is a good example of revulsion and reverence in a piece of our technology?
How would seeing little bits of humanity in machines diminish our own? Would it actually do that?
Journal #3
A connection I made in the article “Technophilia” is that there seems to be a spiritualness to our connection to technology. This connection comes from multiple examples. (pg1, para4) “Craftsmen have always loved their tools, birthing them in ritual..” or when on pg4, para3 Kelley describes various online forums to technology as congregations of sorts, describing just how high we hold certain technologies. I also thought that this spiritual connection also made sense in why people love to invent technology so much. I thought this aspect could translate to how Christians believe humans are created in God’s image, drawing similarities to how when we create we often do it in our own image at least in some ways.
Another idea I took from this article is the idea that there may be a point in which our obsessions become inhibiting, even with useful technologies. We don’t have to go further than the first page and paragraph to see that some people’s infatuations with technology have some negative consequences. When Kelley is describing an acquaintance’s daughter while being grounded from her phone he describes that she “became physically sick. Faint, nauseous and so ill she couldn’t get out of bed.”. We can see through this example technology can be so addictive that symptoms of withdrawal can be a side effect. Obviously a very negative aspect of technology.
The last idea I took away from this article is the idea that technology is not just computer technology. Two examples of this are on page 8 in the second paragraph when Kelley used the example of scissors being a technology and also on page 3 and 4 is the excerpt from Joan Didion about the Hoover Dam. I think it is important to realize that technology isn’t limited to the cutting edge in order to see just how much of the world around us is already loaded with technology. I think being able to understand and differentiate all kinds of technology will only help us in the future as technology becomes even more prevalent in our everyday lives.
Why do we love technology? Is it due to our ability to design and control or is it due to its usefulness in our lives?
At what point does our love of technology become problematic? Will problems surrounding technology increase in the future as it takes larger and larger parts of our life up?
Is there a religious relationship to how we feel when we create tech such as artificial intelligence, similar to how Christians believe humans are made in God’s image?
#1 The concept of always being on your phone; during dinner, while walking, on the toilet, in bed, or anywhere else. (para 1, page 1) This concept comes to me because I see everyone around me doing the exact same thing. In the dining hall, everyone is on their phones, with or without people at the table. It is like conversations stem from the phones and when they don’t no one is talking.
#2 Being “one of them”, always on my phone every second of the day or even a computer for hours at a time. (para 3, page 5)
#3 The concept of getting lazier and lazier due to new things coming up i.e. you buy a house, your house needs a car, your car needs a house, you buy a garage door opener for the car. (para 4, page 6) You see this everywhere, people buying the new iphone when they don’t need it but just to have it. Or people buying the faster car, just to not go faster.
Questions
#1 Why are we like this? What is so engaging about our phones 24/7?
#2 Is evolution making us dumber?
#3 Why do we spend more and more money on technology every year?
The first framework that caught my attention was the Blastolene. The Blastolene is a convertible sedan with a humongous motor and obviously some huge tires. This was put on display because a guy realized he was driving small cars and he wanted to feel superior (Page 3 , para 1). Most of the time driving a big car is a big confidence booster because everybody’s car looks small compared to yours. It sounds like this guy wanted to just look good on the road but I totally understand where he’s coming from. Secondly is the evolution of scissors. This passage talks about scissors being evolved and the breakdown of a scissor holding knowledge. It states that “Tiny twist in the metal hold that knowledge” because when you think about it without that metal twist in the middle , the scissors wouldn’t be able to function (Page 8 , para 2). As humans we’re amazed at a young age what scissors can do but as you look deep into it, all it is all pieces on one accord doing their job. Lastly is technology blinding the world talked about by Professor Sherry Turkle. Since we were little we were always told that technology is bad for our brains because we depend on it to do everything and it doesn’t help anyone learn anything. Turkle talks about how she’s worried that technology will diminish our humanity due to the creations. For example she mentions the robots taking care of the elderly in Japan and personally, I think that is really terrible because elderly deserve human care. How would you feel if your elders were being taken care of by a robot? (Page 9, para 1)
Q: Why is humanity so blind to technology slowly killing the world?
Q: Should Technophilia be taught more in schools?
Q: Should certain technology creations be approved before released due to some of them being useless?
Tony D’Arcangelo
Journal 4
Page 1 paragraph 3
Technology is shaped by the ideas in our past to help for a better future. This is through a means of evolution.
Page 5 paragraph 2
Technology is something that people have come to love and enjoy like many other things like cars, guns, and cookie jars. There are even many online forums dedicated to showing love and appreciation towards technology and all its forms.
Page 6
I like how in this past passage it describes technology as a touchstone ion our life. It is entirely right to make that assumption because nowadays everyone uses some major form of technology every day.
Questions
Why do we love technology the same way we love a human or pet?
If we constantly get new things, then why do we get attached to the ones we have if it’s just going to be replaced?
Aside from medical or basic life assistance, why are people reliant on technology for cortina basic daily things?
Yes, we as a society are addicted to technology. But it is not like it is something that has an entirely negative view in the public eye. Most people love technology and what it provides. The internet is objectively the single best and most accessible source of information in the entirety of human history. It is insane how much the internet provides for us, even more insane if you think about it from not even 20 years ago. I’m sure no one expected this outcome but I’ll tell you right now, most people are not complaining.
The concept that one day, we might create technology so self-sufficient that it might supplant us and/or replace us. Kelley compared artificial intelligence to a river on page 4 paragraph 2. We can see AI already getting dangerously close from being able to replicate people’s voices almost perfectly (look up Plankton from SpongeBob singing Diamonds as an example. It is scary how close it sounds to the actual Plankton. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell unless they already knew it was an AI dub.) Point is, AI can replicate our voices. How long until AI can replicate a soul?
The idea that as technology progresses, we find ourselves increasingly defaulting to using it and subsequently growing reliant on it. i.e. you buy a house, your house needs a car, your car needs a house, you buy a garage door opener for the car. (para 4, page 6). You just get hooked because of the sheer convenience of it, which is understandable but most definitely a problem.
Questions
1. Are we over-reliant on technology for basic survival needs as well? Like for example, if I get lost in the forest without my phone to act as a GPS, would I be able to find my way back home?
2. Alternatively to the idea of being supplanted by AI later down the line, do you think, far in the future, will we get to a point where technology will affect our evolution? Or are you on the side of humanity eventually casting off their mortal shells and uploading their mind to the web or some sort of android apparatus?
3. Why do we get addicted to technology in the first place? It’s not something written in our genetic code and does not have any addictive chemicals. They gave some vague reasons towards the start, but to be honest those answers do not entirely satisfy me.
Isabelle Trombley
Professor Miller
CMM 110
9/17/23
Journal #3
Kevin Kelley’s essay “Technophilia.” 3 QCQs.
Q: Page 5 paragraph 1.
C: The idea of an “evocative object” is something that I think about a lot. I think that in a way I’ve always kind of been a collector of things even as a child (mostly toys and books) but as I have gotten older and had jobs and have been able to make the money to buy the things I want, this idea of loving objects has been rooted even deeper into my life. I have begun collecting many different trinkets: little lego figures, potted plants, candles, stuffed animals, books. It might come off as materialistic but I really do love having “things” and objects because having them evokes thought or feelings for me.
Q: Why is it that humans have become so drawn to man-made things and even ideas such as technology? Why are we so fascinated with the history of these creations?
Q: Page 6 paragraph 3.
C: I’ve really never thought about how true it is that so much of our new technology serves to improve or assist other technology. For example, a television is already a super advanced form of technology (and we could go even further back but for now we will stick with a modern tv) but we have updated it so much in the past two decades or so with newer technologies. Before, you could only watch cable television but then there was the VCR and DVD players that allowed more opportunities to watch different things. Then, with the implementation of streaming services such as Netflix, Smart TVs were created to even have apps like a smartphone would. Now you can turn your TV on by using voice commands or your phone. There are so many technologies that have been created for other technologies and it is so interesting to see the purpose for the creation of these.
Q: Will there ever come a time when we can’t imagine any new technology, even as additions or improvements to older technologies?
Q: Page 9 paragraph 1.
C: While I am sure this isn’t the main reason, I think that one of the reasons that humans find it so easy to “love” or rather empathize with robots is because of how much representation in the media there is about human-esque robots. Some of this media is meant to scare people about a future “robot takeover”, but a lot of it is TV shows and movies that depict robot characters as a part of a friendship or even family with other characters that are human. Only some examples are Star Wars, Wall-E, Big Hero 6, and so many others. A lot of the time, it is in children’s media as well (the two Disney movies mentioned) and it wouldn’t be too outlandish to think that seeing empathetic media towards robots could cause people to be more empathetic towards the idea of robots, especially those who act human-like as this passage describes.
Q: This may be a bit cliché, but I really do wonder if there will be a time of widespread use of humanoid robots, and will it be in our lifetime? What would this mean for our perception of what it means to be human?
19 thoughts on “JOURNAL # 3”
After reading “Technophilia” by Kevin Kelley, I was met with a few solid points. First off on the first page, it talks about how the daughter had her technology taken away. She then became ill which I think is a bit crazy. However, when I lose my phone or can not find it I freak out a little just because it holds all of my information and because it is an expensive piece of material. Also, it talked about how people may have the same loving feelings for an animal, in this case, it was a cat, as much as they do for the internet which seems a bit excessive as well. The writer also voiced their concern for robots, however, they were not too worried about the robots and were more worried about humans becoming dumber and therefore leading to chaos. It also talked about how we came from such simple pieces of technology and technology does not have to be just a phone or a robot. A few questions I had was if it was actually true that robots are taking care of old people in Japan? That is just a crazy concept to me. My other question was do you feel worried that the world is moving too fast with technology and are you worried at all? My last question is when talking about the cars in the reading do you think they thought of that technological advance the same way we think of robot’s technological advancement?
3 ideas that I UNDERSTAND:
Page 1 paragraph 2-3. Biophilia is a human’s natural love and attraction to nature and living things. I can agree that a nice, blue sky or an amazing view from a high mountain are parts of life that give us a natural high. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that technophilia would be a human’s love for different types of technologies. I can also agree that I’m attached to my phone, TV, video games, etc.
Page 4 paragraph 1. Joan Didion describes the Hoover Dam as a dynamo free of man, or free from humans. This is why it is such an admired landmark that always attracts so many people each year. It is intangible and can only be appreciated by humans through our eyes and our sight.
Page 7 paragraph 2. Newer cities are considered by most to be ugly or places that aren’t too much fun because there isn’t much going on and there aren’t many places to go. Big cities like New York and Los Angeles always have new things coming and going and they’ve been there for so many years. It takes time for cities to become popular destination spots.
3 QUESTIONS I have after reading:
Page 3 paragraph 5. What does Joan Didion mean when she said, “… so explicit as to suggest nothing beyond itself” when referring to visiting the Hoover Dam?
Page 6 paragraph 2. Do others agree with Kevin Kelley when he says, “… the technium contains all of life’s inherent beauty – waiting to be uncovered” and if so, why?
Page 8 paragraph 2. Why are people attracted to “fossilized learning” or experience when it comes to technology?
Sawyer Ohman
CMM110-A
9/7/23
Journal #3
The author Kevin Kelly makes a good point by connecting our basic love for animals and nature to our love for technology. “Maybe our technophilia is merely biophilia in disguise. (Pg 3, Pa,2)” Humans have a deep connection with nature, from our pets to house plants and wild animals we might find on our property. We have compassion for living and moving things, and so technophilia is a product of our deep love for nature. Two examples given in the text were the Hoover dam and the Blastolene’s cars.
One concept that is mentioned in the text that I find very relatable to the modern day, is how we look around the negatives associated with technology for the personal benefits. “We rebel at the negative costs of this interrelatedness, and its negative externalities such as pollution. (Pg 7, Pa 1)” Humans since our first craftsman have always cherished their tools and the time they spend working with them. We find ourselves becoming so accustomed to certain items we can leave the house without having it on our person. At the same time these technologies which we take for granted and dispose of in some instances have a negative effect on the world.
One concept that I could agree with is the idea of machines and robots becoming a very large part of our society in the not so distant future. “Machines win our hearts with every step they take in evolution. (Pg 9, Pa 2)” We already rely heavily on the machines that we use but what will come of us when there is a machine or “robot” that changes your baby’s diaper for you. We will at some point or another become fully dependent on the machines that we engineer and manufacture.
If the human race will never stop manufacturing new goods and producing disposable goods will we ever be able to reach carbon neutrality?
Since we have such a strong connection with our phones and our parents and grandparents and such a loving connection with their cars and motorcycles, what will our children find most interesting?
Do the benefits of the Hoover dam and all others like it outweigh the negative consequences of their building? How can the manufacturing of some dams be justified while other plans for building are put on hold or stopped altogether?
On page 1 para 2 and page 9 para 2, Kelley talks about how humans easily anthropomorphize things around them. It relates to our biophilia, we love living things and want to care for them. We anthropomorphize inanimate objects all the time. People will affectionately refer to their car or boat as their “baby,” and treat them as much. They nurture their vehicles as if they were living because we love living things. We want to love things and feel as though we’re being loved back.
Oftentimes times we’ll form that emotional attachment and integrate it into our personality. On page 5 para 2, it’s mentioned how people like doctors or writers form an attachment to the profession-specific objects they use every day. It feels like a part of them. The MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle refers to them as “evocative” objects.
Technology has advanced so far, nowadays we have solutions for everything. Tired of scooping your cat’s litterbox? You can buy one that does it for you. Vacuuming? Roombas. Typing in a Google search? Amazon Alexas. On pages 6 (para 3) and 7 (para 1), Kelley discusses how now that technology has become useful, people want it to be beautiful. That’s why we have sleek Macbooks and colorful keyboards with keys that light up when you use them. People don’t want to use something “ugly,” they want it to be visually pleasing and lavish.
With advances in AI and our emotional attachment, could becoming “friends” with your phone become a reality? Why do we give inanimate objects feelings and thoughts, when living beings are right there? Will we ever collectively acknowledge our technophilia and think more objectively about ourselves?
One of the things in this article that made sense to me was the feeling of something being missing when you are away from your “love”. The thing that you go everyday with, and when it is gone it feels like something is missing from you. I think everyone has something that they feel this way about and being able to understand what that is and how you feel about it is really important. The second thing that made sense to me was the feeling that technology, specifically, wants to be loved. Technology is constantly around us and is a massive part of the life we live. And those that create technology know what to add to it to make it something that we cannot live without. Being able to see the changes in technology over the years, just shows how important it is for us as humans to have it. The last thing that made sense to me is not understanding the love someone has for something, like you don’t see what there is to love, however you can understand why there is love. Many people I know like things that are very different from my view and tastes. But I can completely understand what it is about those certain things that make them so lovable and something that they cannot live without. Being able to appreciate and understand the control something has on someone is very important. Knocking down their feelings isn’t helpful, but being able to understand helps them feel seen.
The questions I have from this reading are, if we know technology is taking over our life why are we still so in love with it? Have we ever stopped to think about what this love is doing to ourselves and to our future? And will there every be something that take over the top spot of love, over technology?
Ryan Kelly
Prof. Jessie Miller
Communications 110
7 September 2023
Journal #3
The first concept I want to talk about is what is said on page one, paragraphs one and two. It talks about just how addicted people, especially young teens and children, can get to technology. It goes on to talk about how in one case it was so bad that when this young girl’s parents took her phone from her she instantly became physically sick. Now this does sound a little far-fetched, however I find that when I am bored and have nothing to do, I think about scrolling on social media on my phone. The second concept that stood out to me was on page four, paragraphs one, it talks about how humans evolved due to constant new innovations and ideas, such as dams. However, even though most of these new inventions and innovations in technology are meant for the greater good of humans, we don’t always take into consideration how it will affect the other living organisms. Even though dams provide a massive source of energy that we convert into electricity and also can help with crop irrigation, they “frustrate the return of single-minded salmon and other spawning fish, and indiscriminately flood homelands.” The third concept that stood out to me was on page seven, paragraph two, where it states that over the course of time humans will “find it easier to love technology” and that “machines will win our hearts with every step they take in evolution.” This was kind of scary to me, don’t get me wrong I would not be able to live without technology, but I’m worried as to how that will impact the employment/unemployment rates in the future if we keep making advancements in technology that make our lives easier. My first question is based on the quotes from page seven, paragraph two, and is are people more scared of or excited for what technological advancements that future may hold? My second question stems from page one, paragraph one, and is since phones can cause withdrawals just like drugs and alcohol can do, should there be an age restriction on phones, and if so what would that age be? My third question arose from page four paragraph one, and is should we try and move to more environmentally conscious renewable energy sources?
When I was counting the page numbers I got one wrong, it was for page seven paragraph two, the page is actually page nine paragraph two, but I cannot edit my original comment on this.
Journal #3
Tyler Richards
Communications 110
“Our transformation from smart hominid into sapiens was midwifed by our tools… we are embarrassed to admit it, but we love technology” (Page 1, Para 3)
Our transformation into the creatures we are today was only possible by our inventions and the things we have brought into the world, and as for today it is the same, our attitudes and life’s are shaped solely by our technology and what we have created.
“Almost anything manufactured will have adoring fans. Cars, guns, cookie jars, fishing reels, tableware, you name it” (Page 4, Para 2).
Everything that has ever been created by man can and most likely will have a fan base behind it and people to support it, the human population falls in love with their objects and what they create. They will even create multiple groups for the same type of objects.
“Today, at the start of the 21st century, there are tens of million species of tools and technologies at loose in the world…” (Page 6, Para 4).
There is over multiple million types of technologies created in the world, and we will constantly be making more technologies while we progress as a human species and constantly evolving. With around only 5% increase of new technology every year.
Is humanity more excited or scared of the possibilities of new technology that may emerge in the next few years?
What types of technology is there still to be discovered or what possible types will we come up with? Is there even any need to keep creating new technologies for society?
Since technology has become almost like a third leg for us as a society, will there ever be another invention that gives us the same happiness that technology does?
Bernie Mulcahy
Professor Miller
Communications 110
7 September 2023
Page 2 Paragraph 1
Not only in the first paragraph, but throughout the whole page and the next page the author writes about the human attraction, specifically male, to cars and other automobiles. He then talks about how he once went to a car show and noticed how everyone else there was so attracted to the cars and automobiles but he was not feeling the same way that they were about them. This shows that the attraction to cars is similar to how people are interested in technology and that “technophila is merely biophilia in disguise.”
Page 4 Paragraph 1
On this page the author brings up the Hoover Dam and brings up the fact that even though it is breathtaking and loveable, people can still hate it. He also says that no dam is eternal because at some point, water can rise above it and make it useless. This compares to the fact that some technology that people love will not always be enough, we will need to expand the technology that we are making.
Page 5 Paragraph 2
Here, the author talks about his realization for his love of technology. He is no longer embarrassed that he loves it because of its beauty and the fact that he can just get lost in it. He believes that it is more alive than we think as he says “thick as a jungle” and “the web smells like life.”
Colette Murphy
Professor Miller
CMM 110
9/7/2023
Journal #3
> TECHNOPHILIA:
on page one, paragraph 2 and then again on page 3 paragraph 3 Kelley explores the idea that while the evolution of technology is fascinating, it’s scary how in love we are with its evolution. This is explored through the common theme throughout the essay of biophilia and its relationship to technophilia. I think that this is shown in real life through something also said in the essay itself, how humans show affection towards AI animals like dogs. A question I have about this would be will AI eventually replace our love for real animals?
> DANGEROUS AI:
on page 4 paragraph 2, Kelley brings up the idea of a dam. He starts by going into detail on how beautiful these manmade dams are just for “single-minded” fish to flood them. This relates to the idea in the next passage over of how rivers have minds of their own, implying that AI could inevitably take over if we’re consumed by our ideas that they’re more fascinating to study than dangerous for our future. This makes me wonder how fast is AI advancing?
> ART/BEAUTY:
The idea that a robot is art as discussed on page 6 paragraph 3 astounds me. I would have originally never considered them to be, but throughout this essay Kelley discusses many forms of these enigmatic machineries and their many levels of human endearment. On the same page and paragraph Kelley even goes as far to say that their existence is beautiful, proving to us as the consumers that even he himself has fallen for this seemingly innate capability to feel technophilia. This makes me wonder if we will soon be pushing that boundary further, if the line between art and machinery will be more blurred than it is right now.
Wesley Chandler
Intro To Comm
Sept 7th 2023
Technophilia by Kevin Kelley I believe is about the understanding our physical emotion and the reason we may feel or act a certain way towards objects like if they were a person. The reason this occurs is because of biophilia. “This hard-wired, genetic affinity for life and life processes ensured our survival in the past by nurturing our familiarity with nature” (page 1 par 2). Kelley gives a really good example for a modern area issue with children and their cell phones and how they react if their phone was to be taken how they would begin to feel very sick. Another good example is the love for classic cars. “It was a peculiar moment, but so explicit as to suggest nothing beyond itself” (page 3 par 12). Not only that but has scientific proof from scientist in labs. I think my favorite part about this short story is how the writer gives such good descriptions of the moments and classic automobiles that you almost can get an image in your head as if you were right there in that moment. In the end I think this writing gives really good info to help the reader get a good understanding.
Evan Glynos
Jesse Miller
CMM-110
9/7/23
Journal #3
In the reading, what I found really interesting was on the first page about how humans are “endowed with biophilia, an innate attraction to living things” (Page Para ). I believe this is true because humans do seem to get an emotional attachment to living things such as pets. Many humans including myself do get an emotional attachment to pets, and do treat them as a best friend even though they don’t talk back to you. With many couples and single people treating animals like they are a child to them it alters the brain chemistry into thinking they are caring for a child and it creates more of an attachment. One thing that caught my attention and made a lot of sense to me was the fact that a love for something in our lives that we can’t go without is the use of technology. This caught my attention because I am the same way with technology, I struggle to go a little bit of time without using technology. The use of technology has definitely impacted my life because of the use it plays in my daily life. Without technology people wouldn’t be able to do work nowadays and wouldn’t be able to go about their daily lives.
Some questions I have are: Why does the brain get altered to the caring of animals such as a child? Another question I have is Why do us as humans have a love spot for technology?
Concepts
I understand seeing humanity in technology. Many people name and talk to their household appliances (the specific example that comes to mind being a roomba, or a virtual assistant). It is similar to the way we humanize animals. A crab, which is incredibly dissimilar to a human, bats something with a claw, and we say “it’s grumpy”. Our fridge makes a weird noise, it wants to get our attention. People love to give meaning to the behaviors of other things.
On the front of page 3 is the quote “We think with the objects we love, and we love the objects we think with.” This makes a lot of sense, as someone who has used the exact same mechanical pencil for almost all of my work on paper for the entirety of my college career. I would be really upset if I lost my pencil, and things don’t feel the same if I try to use a different one. I know my tool, and I use it for both schoolwork and artwork.
On the back of the third page is the quote “the goal of every robot, and every machine and tool, is to exist for its own sake. To exist not only because it is useful, but because existence is beautiful.” And the last line of the essay states that “technology wants to be loved.” These remind me of Data from Star Trek. An incredibly advanced android whose journey is about seeking his humanity. It is a key part of his character that he is more than a tool, that the purpose of his existence is to live; to make his own choices and forge his path. He was built in the image of his creator. I think Data is a good example of our own humanity being reflected in the technology we create. We exist for our own sake, and because existence is beautiful. We want to be loved. Data is the same. It makes sense that the things we create in real life are likewise a reflection of ourselves. Wanting to take part in the beauty of existence, and to be loved.
Questions
Where do you think the beauty in “places that reveal layers of time” comes from?
What is a good example of revulsion and reverence in a piece of our technology?
How would seeing little bits of humanity in machines diminish our own? Would it actually do that?
Journal #3
A connection I made in the article “Technophilia” is that there seems to be a spiritualness to our connection to technology. This connection comes from multiple examples. (pg1, para4) “Craftsmen have always loved their tools, birthing them in ritual..” or when on pg4, para3 Kelley describes various online forums to technology as congregations of sorts, describing just how high we hold certain technologies. I also thought that this spiritual connection also made sense in why people love to invent technology so much. I thought this aspect could translate to how Christians believe humans are created in God’s image, drawing similarities to how when we create we often do it in our own image at least in some ways.
Another idea I took from this article is the idea that there may be a point in which our obsessions become inhibiting, even with useful technologies. We don’t have to go further than the first page and paragraph to see that some people’s infatuations with technology have some negative consequences. When Kelley is describing an acquaintance’s daughter while being grounded from her phone he describes that she “became physically sick. Faint, nauseous and so ill she couldn’t get out of bed.”. We can see through this example technology can be so addictive that symptoms of withdrawal can be a side effect. Obviously a very negative aspect of technology.
The last idea I took away from this article is the idea that technology is not just computer technology. Two examples of this are on page 8 in the second paragraph when Kelley used the example of scissors being a technology and also on page 3 and 4 is the excerpt from Joan Didion about the Hoover Dam. I think it is important to realize that technology isn’t limited to the cutting edge in order to see just how much of the world around us is already loaded with technology. I think being able to understand and differentiate all kinds of technology will only help us in the future as technology becomes even more prevalent in our everyday lives.
Why do we love technology? Is it due to our ability to design and control or is it due to its usefulness in our lives?
At what point does our love of technology become problematic? Will problems surrounding technology increase in the future as it takes larger and larger parts of our life up?
Is there a religious relationship to how we feel when we create tech such as artificial intelligence, similar to how Christians believe humans are made in God’s image?
Daraun White
September 7th, 2023
Journal #3
#1 The concept of always being on your phone; during dinner, while walking, on the toilet, in bed, or anywhere else. (para 1, page 1) This concept comes to me because I see everyone around me doing the exact same thing. In the dining hall, everyone is on their phones, with or without people at the table. It is like conversations stem from the phones and when they don’t no one is talking.
#2 Being “one of them”, always on my phone every second of the day or even a computer for hours at a time. (para 3, page 5)
#3 The concept of getting lazier and lazier due to new things coming up i.e. you buy a house, your house needs a car, your car needs a house, you buy a garage door opener for the car. (para 4, page 6) You see this everywhere, people buying the new iphone when they don’t need it but just to have it. Or people buying the faster car, just to not go faster.
Questions
#1 Why are we like this? What is so engaging about our phones 24/7?
#2 Is evolution making us dumber?
#3 Why do we spend more and more money on technology every year?
Altirique McElveen
Professor Miller
Journal 3- Communications
8 Sep 2023
The first framework that caught my attention was the Blastolene. The Blastolene is a convertible sedan with a humongous motor and obviously some huge tires. This was put on display because a guy realized he was driving small cars and he wanted to feel superior (Page 3 , para 1). Most of the time driving a big car is a big confidence booster because everybody’s car looks small compared to yours. It sounds like this guy wanted to just look good on the road but I totally understand where he’s coming from. Secondly is the evolution of scissors. This passage talks about scissors being evolved and the breakdown of a scissor holding knowledge. It states that “Tiny twist in the metal hold that knowledge” because when you think about it without that metal twist in the middle , the scissors wouldn’t be able to function (Page 8 , para 2). As humans we’re amazed at a young age what scissors can do but as you look deep into it, all it is all pieces on one accord doing their job. Lastly is technology blinding the world talked about by Professor Sherry Turkle. Since we were little we were always told that technology is bad for our brains because we depend on it to do everything and it doesn’t help anyone learn anything. Turkle talks about how she’s worried that technology will diminish our humanity due to the creations. For example she mentions the robots taking care of the elderly in Japan and personally, I think that is really terrible because elderly deserve human care. How would you feel if your elders were being taken care of by a robot? (Page 9, para 1)
Q: Why is humanity so blind to technology slowly killing the world?
Q: Should Technophilia be taught more in schools?
Q: Should certain technology creations be approved before released due to some of them being useless?
Tony D’Arcangelo
Journal 4
Page 1 paragraph 3
Technology is shaped by the ideas in our past to help for a better future. This is through a means of evolution.
Page 5 paragraph 2
Technology is something that people have come to love and enjoy like many other things like cars, guns, and cookie jars. There are even many online forums dedicated to showing love and appreciation towards technology and all its forms.
Page 6
I like how in this past passage it describes technology as a touchstone ion our life. It is entirely right to make that assumption because nowadays everyone uses some major form of technology every day.
Questions
Why do we love technology the same way we love a human or pet?
If we constantly get new things, then why do we get attached to the ones we have if it’s just going to be replaced?
Aside from medical or basic life assistance, why are people reliant on technology for cortina basic daily things?
Yes, we as a society are addicted to technology. But it is not like it is something that has an entirely negative view in the public eye. Most people love technology and what it provides. The internet is objectively the single best and most accessible source of information in the entirety of human history. It is insane how much the internet provides for us, even more insane if you think about it from not even 20 years ago. I’m sure no one expected this outcome but I’ll tell you right now, most people are not complaining.
The concept that one day, we might create technology so self-sufficient that it might supplant us and/or replace us. Kelley compared artificial intelligence to a river on page 4 paragraph 2. We can see AI already getting dangerously close from being able to replicate people’s voices almost perfectly (look up Plankton from SpongeBob singing Diamonds as an example. It is scary how close it sounds to the actual Plankton. Most people wouldn’t be able to tell unless they already knew it was an AI dub.) Point is, AI can replicate our voices. How long until AI can replicate a soul?
The idea that as technology progresses, we find ourselves increasingly defaulting to using it and subsequently growing reliant on it. i.e. you buy a house, your house needs a car, your car needs a house, you buy a garage door opener for the car. (para 4, page 6). You just get hooked because of the sheer convenience of it, which is understandable but most definitely a problem.
Questions
1. Are we over-reliant on technology for basic survival needs as well? Like for example, if I get lost in the forest without my phone to act as a GPS, would I be able to find my way back home?
2. Alternatively to the idea of being supplanted by AI later down the line, do you think, far in the future, will we get to a point where technology will affect our evolution? Or are you on the side of humanity eventually casting off their mortal shells and uploading their mind to the web or some sort of android apparatus?
3. Why do we get addicted to technology in the first place? It’s not something written in our genetic code and does not have any addictive chemicals. They gave some vague reasons towards the start, but to be honest those answers do not entirely satisfy me.
Isabelle Trombley
Professor Miller
CMM 110
9/17/23
Journal #3
Kevin Kelley’s essay “Technophilia.” 3 QCQs.
Q: Page 5 paragraph 1.
C: The idea of an “evocative object” is something that I think about a lot. I think that in a way I’ve always kind of been a collector of things even as a child (mostly toys and books) but as I have gotten older and had jobs and have been able to make the money to buy the things I want, this idea of loving objects has been rooted even deeper into my life. I have begun collecting many different trinkets: little lego figures, potted plants, candles, stuffed animals, books. It might come off as materialistic but I really do love having “things” and objects because having them evokes thought or feelings for me.
Q: Why is it that humans have become so drawn to man-made things and even ideas such as technology? Why are we so fascinated with the history of these creations?
Q: Page 6 paragraph 3.
C: I’ve really never thought about how true it is that so much of our new technology serves to improve or assist other technology. For example, a television is already a super advanced form of technology (and we could go even further back but for now we will stick with a modern tv) but we have updated it so much in the past two decades or so with newer technologies. Before, you could only watch cable television but then there was the VCR and DVD players that allowed more opportunities to watch different things. Then, with the implementation of streaming services such as Netflix, Smart TVs were created to even have apps like a smartphone would. Now you can turn your TV on by using voice commands or your phone. There are so many technologies that have been created for other technologies and it is so interesting to see the purpose for the creation of these.
Q: Will there ever come a time when we can’t imagine any new technology, even as additions or improvements to older technologies?
Q: Page 9 paragraph 1.
C: While I am sure this isn’t the main reason, I think that one of the reasons that humans find it so easy to “love” or rather empathize with robots is because of how much representation in the media there is about human-esque robots. Some of this media is meant to scare people about a future “robot takeover”, but a lot of it is TV shows and movies that depict robot characters as a part of a friendship or even family with other characters that are human. Only some examples are Star Wars, Wall-E, Big Hero 6, and so many others. A lot of the time, it is in children’s media as well (the two Disney movies mentioned) and it wouldn’t be too outlandish to think that seeing empathetic media towards robots could cause people to be more empathetic towards the idea of robots, especially those who act human-like as this passage describes.
Q: This may be a bit cliché, but I really do wonder if there will be a time of widespread use of humanoid robots, and will it be in our lifetime? What would this mean for our perception of what it means to be human?