Substitution or supplement?
This article, whilst a bit extreme, brings to attention something I’ve been musing about.
“As increasing numbers of humans choose to supplement themselves with machines, it is possible that the primary clash of civilizations in the years to come will not be between East and West, but between Human and Cyborg. Those who have become addicted to the constant buzz of being connected will always face opponents who still believe that the world experienced through a screen is in some way deficient; lacking in the sublime splendor of undesigned reality.“
Where is the line drawn between the online and the offline? Does the online supplement the offline, or does the offline supplement the online?
Or is it as White suggests, and the online and offline will one day merge together to create new form of human?
Personally, I like the physical tangibility of products. The tactile sensation of being able to touch a book, curl up with it. To be able to try on clothes before purchase.
E-business has certainly made consumerism much more convenient for an increasingly time poor world, but there is something to be said for the traditional methods of a non-digital life …
I want to look at the face of a person and learn about them through their movement, not meticulously planned words (like these).
Oh, don’t get me wrong. I like the internet (msn, facebook). I like my mobile phone (texting). I ♥ my macbook.
But, again: Where is the line drawn between the online and the offline? Is there even a line?
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Tags: !internet, !musing
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