Connection with Technology

Humans have a natural inclination to communicate and share feelings, thoughts, and discoveries. As our world has evolved, this necessity has become more prevalent than ever, as it is easy to feel alone in such a fast-pace, chaotic world. The rise of technology and mass communication have never been more relevant as they have helped keep humans in the loop of our ever-growing society. Not only has the rise of technology improved our means of communication, but it has shown light upon the good nature of the world which is something we all need more of. Whether the vessel of communication be through art, a web page, or through mass media coverage, technology makes all of this possible and we are a more informed and inspired race because of this.

For as long as the earth has existed, so has art, whether it was dancing, music, painting, writing, or another expression. Art has been something people can relate to from the beginning of time, and with all the advancements that have taken place and all of the impactful events that have shaped our history, art is more numbered than ever. With so many new artists creating new pieces, it is important that these art forms are seen and heard. This exposure is made possible by the democratization of art. Everyone has the opportunity, through technology, to not only view and experience these art forms first-hand, but to also create art themselves. In the documentary, PressPausePlay, the rise of technology and how it impacts the art culture is demonstrated. An alternative artist, O’Lafur Arnalds explains how technology enabled his music career. “I started making music maybe early 2006, I was recording my first album, then I think only 3, 4, months after I actually put some of the music online, I was playing the first shows and they were already sold out (Arnalds, PressPausePlay). This shows how amazing technology is at spreading something like new music all around the world. 

Perhaps the most amazing effect technology has had upon the human race is the accessibility it gives us to many diverse perspectives and lifestyles that we wouldn’t have otherwise known of. In the documentary, Craigslist Joe, a young man named Joseph Garner ventures across the world for 30 days using one resource, Craigslist. Because of this website, he had access to food, water, shelter, supplies, and good people from a single website. It was the kindness and empathy of these people that helped him survive this risky journey. Garner’s intentions were to test the characters of people around the world and see if people from all different walks of life were willing to help a complete stranger, even if it did not benefit them. Garner questions, “Have we become so caught up in our own lives that we can’t see people out of our own bubble.” (Craigslist Joe) Joseph Garner was baffled and inspired when he saw how many people were willing to help. Through the use of technology, this documentary was debuted and many people were able to achieve the same satisfaction and inspiration that Joseph Garner felt when his faith in humanity was restored. Without technology, we wouldn’t have been able to experience this journey with Joseph, he wouldn’t have been able to reach out to people without Craigslist, and people wouldn’t have been able to reach out to him.

To understand how an experiment like Craiglist Joe’s would take place, one would need to understand compounds of empathy. What is very evident, however often overlooked, is the connection between empathy and science and it’s relation to the population and communication. In the lecture, Empathic Civilization, Jeremy Rifkin connects the human anatomy to empathy. "We take this for granted sometimes but we're actually soft wired to actually experience another's plight as if we're experiencing them ourselves" (Rifkin).  Broadening who we are able to communicate with also allows us to expand who we connect with and have empathy for. Roman Krznaric tests traditional ideas of empathy in his lecture, The Power of Outrospection. "We normally think of empathy as empathizing with the down and outs, the poor and marginalized, those on the edges of society. I think we need to be more adventurous in who we try to empathize with. I think we need to empathize with those in power. We need to understand how those in power, in whatever realm it is, think about the world and their lives and their ambitions. We need to understand their values. Only then are we going to develop effective strategies for social, political and economic transformation" (Krznaric). The study of empathy is something that has brought light to the importance of communication and how it is an important trait to have when communication via technology.

The use of technology enables us to communicate with people in ways that we could have never imagined, it is what artists use to become known, it helps us understand what’s going on in other people’s lives, and ultimately it makes us see things we would have never have thought to look for. Although our modern world can be confusing and lonely at times, technology brings us back into the loop and displays a world much larger than the one inside our own heads.