You Are Not A Gadget

You Are Not A Gadget will help you get a better grasp on how much the internet undervalues your individuality by explaining the history of the digital world, the worrying path that it has put us on, and how we might make changes as a society to fix these problems.

Between the internet, digital media, and our devices, there are countless pieces of information floating around. Some people even think we’ll eventually compile all of it together into one big unit of wisdom!

If this happens, we might see computers becoming smarter than people. It’s already happening now in some cases. Just take the computer that beat Garry Kasparov, a chess champion, at his own game, for instance.

There are people who believe that events like this prove that computers are already smarter than humans. The problem is, this kind of deification of technology makes us overlook its limitations. And even worse, it limits people’s individuality.

Take a typical Facebook profile for example. All you can put there are a few things about what you like, where you went to school, and your relationship. The truth is, people are a lot more complex and unique than this, but Facebook overlooks all that.

Consider also the fact that computers require our input to tell them what to do. If we take that component away they’re just scraps of metal.

We should stop putting technology on a pedestal and re-focus on what’s most important. Instead, it’s time to look back to our own brains to reinforce our individuality and creativity.

It’s no secret that the internet is full of arguments. Just go to any YouTube comments section or Reddit thread and it’s obvious. Some people start these fights on purpose, and the mob mentality doesn’t help when things get heated. The unfortunate truth about this online world is that we’ve baked this type of behavior into it by allowing people to remain anonymous on many sites. That means anyone can get on the internet and say whatever they want without taking any responsibility. Some even make accounts to deliberately voice their heated opinions. And whether it’s a single troll or a group of people attacking one person, the consequences can be awful. Korean actress Choi Jin-Sil even committed suicide after the harassment she experienced online got so severe. Wherever you go online it seems that you’re never far from somebody that uses anonymity to be rude. Can we fix this problem? Some sites may have resolved it by incentivizing people to keep a good reputation but still stay anonymous. eBay, for instance, has rating systems that motivate people to be on their best behavior, without making it so they have to reveal…