Are we, as human species, turning into cyborgs? Are our phones quite literally going to be a part of us in the future or is this already the case? Are there any boundaries left between our phones and us in our lifetime?
We have seen some interesting results in the last post. Phones seem to represent communication and connection for most people. It is going to be fascinating to see where the future takes us in that aspect. On top of that, in our last post, it was suggested that our phones are an extension of our mind to a certain extent. I will build on that in my blog post and dive into the interesting topic of zombies and cyborgs. Stay tuned!
Will the Cyborgs survive the Zombie Apocalypse?
Now that we have been properly scared into believing that the presence of our phones is making us dumber whenever we use our working memory, let´s take it a step further. Not only are we dumber, but I also believe we have already taken the first step towards turning into cyborgs without even knowing it. You know, those creatures, half humans, half robots, that Hollywood promises us to appear in the future and which we are supposed to fear. Why do I believe this? Simple. In many blogs (e.g. Fratto, 2018) our phones are often described as an extension of ourselves. Philosophers, such as Andy Clark (MacFarquhar, 2018) have even said that our phones are an extension of our cognition and memory, because we store so much information on them. Doesn’t this just mean that we are already one with our phones? We are already a sort of cyborg. So is there really a reason to fear this development? One thing is for sure: At least the cyborgs will survive this smartphone zombie apocalypse we are experiencing right now. What if, when we actually become one with our phone, we finally look up again and are able to enjoy the world around us. I would say we have just found the cure for zombies. Become a cyborg and you will come back alive.
Do we just give in?
Hm, now you could think, wow it´s pretty cool to become a cyborg! Let´s just give in to our phones and check them whenever they ring! Who cares about a little bit of impaired memory anyways? Especially since it has been suggested that trying to resist looking at your phone has an even greater strain on it ( Stothart, Mitchum, & Yehnert, 2015 ). Plus, the boundaries between the virtual and the physical world are already very fuzzy (Lincoln, 2018). Does that alone not mean we should have our phones with us at all time to be constantly in contact with our friends. I mean, everyone is on their phone! Why shouldn´t you? Doesn´t everyone having an impaired working memory level the playing field? Who cares about that one person having their phone turned off. That person is lonely and has no social life (one could suggest).
I would really like to answer the question, however, I will not. The blind can´t lead the blind or something like that, right? In other words, who am I to tell you what to do when I don´t even know. Everyone has to decide for themselves what way to choose.
Implications for research, school, university and other educational aspects
Alright, we have pretty much established by now that phone presence when completing a task makes you dumber and that our phones are an extension of our cognition.
Since we are students it would be interesting to see how this will influence the way of teaching in the future. I can only make assumptions here (we can sadly/luckily not look into the future). It has to be taken into account that part of our memory is on our phone. So should you just be allowed to take your phone to exams? But would that mean that exams are even still necessary when you can just look up everything will a couple of mouse clicks? And if that is the case does it even matter if our working memory is impaired? Circling back to the cyborg idea: Do we even still need to be educated when we can just download every kind of knowledge we need into our brain?
These are just a couple of assumptions and it will be very interesting to see how the future will turn out.
Isn’t there a bright side to it?
Let´s end this on a more optimistic note. Let´s assume we are already cyborgs or on our best way towards them. Is this really such a bad thing? Future generations might get so used to their phones, that it might not even impair their working memory anymore. They might become a crucial working tool and will not be seen as a distraction anymore. Also, wouldn´t it be cool if we had access to any kind of knowledge whenever we want to? I think it would be pretty cool.
But we do not even have to look that far into the future. Phones have already made our lives so much easier for us. We are constantly in touch with our family and friends. The next grocery shopping is just a mouse click away and so is the next trip you are taking. No need to go to a travel agency. And who nowadays even knows how to use a map? Some might say we, the Millennials, depend too much on our phones and do not learn the essentials in life anymore. And yes, we do, but is it really that bad? I mean it makes our lives a lot easier.
Now we have given you a lot to think about it. So, I urge you to do this. What do you speculate the future of phones in relation to our working memory will be like? Let us know in the comments and good luck in the phonecalypse!
References:
Fratto, N. (2018, June 4). I´m a Cyborg; You´re a Cyborg. Retrieved from https://hackernoon.com/im-a-cyborg-you-re-a-cyborg-f54ec6349a45.
Lincoln, K. (2018, December 9). Where is the boundary between your phone and your mind? Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/dec/09/tech-mind-body-boundary-facebook-google.
MacFarquhar, J. (2018, April 2). The Mind-Expanding Ideas of Andy Clark. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/02/the-mind-expanding-ideas-of-andy-clark.
Stothart, C., Mitchum, A., and Yehnert, C. (2015). The Attentional Cost of Receiving a Cell Phone Notification. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 41 (4), 893–97.
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