Even though Shteyngart's view on technology is largely negative, I have been able to find a window of optimism. His most obvious theme explains how invasive technology is, and how it degrades the individual into something much less human. People use apparats to create false relationships (fuckability/personality ratings and rankings), to find absolutely every single bit of information about an individual (Larry on the plane about Eunice and her family, pg. 36-38), not to mention the credit score totem poles (pg. 54).
Yet despite this suffocation-by-tech, there are remnants of the individual--one can still be outside of the mainstream currents; one's level of technological involvement is measured on a spectrum. On one extreme we have Noah and other Mediawhores who are completely immersed in the technology, living and breathing a life publicized to millions. And yet then we also have Lenny, who is not disconnected, but definitely isn't connected enough for success. He is frequently blasted by his youngers (and his boss) for certain failures to be properly inundated in digital waves, and his certain old-world phrases and hobbies (obvious books and bookishness, foreign phrases). And even more set apart are people and protestors like Eunice's friend David, who deliberately avoids the systems because he objects to that society. And one cannot forget the fat man, who was arrested (assumably) for not being trackable/having the right technological connectedness.
The alarmist articles have similar views on technology and how in the hands of the government it suddenly becomes super scary and controlling and all “Big Brother is watching” distopian. Yet while I recognize that there is overlap, I am still not convinced that the new technologies of today can remotely compare with Shteyngart's. Government of today is still driven by core American ideals of individual freedom, rights, and equality; the media articles are exaggerating. Edward Snowden did succeed in starting an important conversation (see the interview article), yet this dialogue is not well-informed and is also over-reactionary. Metadata and other updated actions of the NSA are direct consequences of people's anger at the government for not predicting/protecting the country from the 9/11 attacks. There is a valid naitonal scurity driven purpose here, which also gives the government a legitimate reason to not give full disclosure. Not to mention that the whole program/system is also being talked about by a public and media that do not know enough about the technology to understand consequences and realities of the security measures.
Yet just as there is a window of optimism built into Supersad True Lovestory, there are direct benefits to the new technologies of today (if they are even that invasive in the first place). If I was a victim of a hit and run accident or a rape, and face recognition technology helped the NYPD to identify that person, I would be glad that he/she could be held accountable for his/her crime. I also personally wouldn’t mind having a Google Glass to share some of my sights with others, and a complete digitization of life and work would save so many trees and prevent the further killing of our planet by reducing harmful carbon emissions. And yet right now I am rather unconnected technologically. I don’t even have a Facebook; and I still have no desire to get one. I like this freedom, and right now in this life we live, I am perfectly allowed and unpersecuted in this persuit of this disconnectedness.
No comments:
Post a Comment