Archetypes in Technology
While technological advancement can make our lives better, it also comes with ethical problems. Computers, radar, and the internet all have their roots in the bloodshed of war. Social media has increased anxiety, animosity, political unrest, and body image issues. Machine learning (AI) models have been built on the nonconsensual use of copyrighted art and literature. Fossil fuels are hurting our planet.
Our corporations and economic systems don’t account for these ethical issues as they should, so it’s up to us individuals to figure out for ourselves and our families how to navigate the constantly changing world that technology creates.
I wanted to categorize different ways we relate to technology. Many of us hold multiple, and sometimes conflicting views at once. Here are some archetypes in technology. Which ones do you identify with? Which ones are missing?
The Traditionalist attempts to escape the ethical problems of modern technology by abstaining. They view certain technological advancements as moving society away from meaningful spiritual or social roots. Reasons for this view can be religious, ethical, environmental, philosophical, and even nostalgic. Examples are seen in digital minimalism, agrarian (back to the farm) movements, the popularity of alternative educational systems (home school, classical schools, Waldorf, Montessori), analog film photography, and LP record collecting.
The Luddite attempts to break unethical economic structures within our modern technological capitalism. They protest and revolt for the reform of the supply chain. They don’t necessarily have a philosophical problem with technological advancement, they see it as benefiting the rich more than the working and middle classes. This can be seen in Amazon unionization work, and in the lawsuit against tech companies by injured miners from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Luddites see unbridled technological advancement as having to do more with extractive capitalistic growth than actual social progress.
The Acolyte sees technological progress as synonymous with social progress. They see tech as opening up new possibilities for human flourishing. For every social need and problem, “there’s an app for that”. Transportation, healthcare, climate change, and housing can all be solved by enlightened designers and developers. Perhaps one day AI will cure cancer and usher humanity into a new era of health, prosperity, and leisure.
The Capitalist believes technological growth is an unstoppable force, part of evolution even, and the heart of modern capitalism. These are the barons of Silicon Valley and their followers: the cult of Mac, the cult of Musk. For them technology is a fight, one they must win in order to grow their financial position and egoic self. To slow the advance of technology would be anathema. In their view the light of technology must be expanded, other realms must be colonized–the inner space of the mind, and the outer space of our universe. Growth must continue at any cost.
The Consumer looks to technology for entertainment, for social connection, or for an escape from a life and work that feels meaningless. This is the joy of cat memes, the rush of a new video game, the excitement around a TV show. Sometimes for the consumer, technology is also a way to “keep up with the Joneses”–to escape feelings of social shame around their lack of the “right” possessions as dictated through advertising, entertainment, and social media.
The Creator uses technology to promote and distribute their ideas, their art, or their self-as-business. As much as they are able to influence the masses, they are also being influenced, forced to bend their methods and message to the whims of the changing technological landscape.
The Activist, perhaps a subset of The Creator, attempts to use technology as a way to bend the “arc of the moral universe” towards justice (or injustice). To save a soul, to promote a cause, to change the world, or to disrupt a system.
The Survivor. The survivor is forced to use a different form of technology against their will because necessary social tasks are nearly impossible without it. This is the senior citizen who needs a smart phone to schedule doctors appointments. This is the gig worker who must use a personal cell phone at work. This is the student during COVID who needs a laptop to turn in homework or go to class. This is the grandfather that must use Facetime to talk with their grandkids because work moved his children out of state. This is the old woman who is being told to get a cellphone because landlines are being discontinued in her area.