Controlling our technology, not being controlled: An upgrade to the human operating system

The other day, Darrell Etherington published an article on TechCrunch asking half jokingly, half seriously for less convenience in regards to products and services that one can order instantly “on demand”. His concern: “The problem with the shift to an on-demand economy is that it’s not a fair fight; our meager human brains don’t stand a chance when faced with the promise of such instant plenty”.

The fear of becoming slave to technology

His argumentation is part of a bigger narrative which can be witnessed, read and heard everywhere: It says that humans are becoming slaves to technology and are not capable of resisting the temptations and urges that arise with the digital economy.

One a basic level, the idea that humans struggle with adjusting to the new realities seems to ring true. Humans are capable of long term thinking and strategic actions, but there is a part in us which is often commonly (and name-wise maybe not to scientifically correct) referred to as “Reptilian Brain”. The Reptilian Brain wants instant gratification, it constantly looks for immediate rewards and short-term gains (sometimes at the expense of long-term goals), and it uses emotions instead of rational thinking. The consequence is that we are not always as much in control of our actions as we think we are. This is easy to witness every time we indulge in ice cream or cake instead of going to the gym as we initially intended to do. Continue Reading