Sometimes I am imagining myself going back to past generation, when mobile phone and internet haven’t existed and thinking how miserable my life would be without those two things. But then, I reconsider my thought when I realize that actually, my life will be just OK, coz even for me, having my own mobile phone was only started when I was in high school. During that time, once a week is the most frequent period for me to use the internet and my life’s just fine.
Then I realize that something have changed in my standard of living. That mobile phone and internet have been a crucial part of my life where I just can’t live without it; people around me can’t live without it. It is amazed me to see that in the history of human civilization, there is a part where technology have an important role in shaping the society, structuring the way they communicate, and even forming the rules of human life.
Last week lecture gave me a complete point of view on how this phenomena really works and on how the technology have changed the rules of human life. Based on the lecture, rules are defined as normative codes or prescriptions that guide, control, or alter decision-based behavior. It consists of 5 aspects, they are natural laws; human capabilities; collective and individual norms; local, national, and international law; and technological capabilities and standards.
As it is not possible to change natural law, so technology can do nothing about it (i.e. we can’t vanished or reduce the earth gravitational force so that all of use can fly, can we?). For human capabilities, it is quite tricky because as we can see, with the help of technology, human have more capabilities to do more things than before. But, in my opinion, technology does not change it, it is still as it is, what it does is only explore it more. So I can consider that technology does not change human capabilities.
The next 3 factors, called standard, norm, and law, change over time with the advancement of technology. I have explained above on how technology has changed my standard of living, but actually, human standards of living also determine how technology is developed. As example, as multitasking is part of our standard, so we demand technology to provide a gadget which can be used for many kind of tasks. Other example is on how technologies R&D try to make smaller and smaller electronic device as human deal with limited availability of spaces.
Technology has changed our norm and law in the same way and it is very easy to find the example that I do not need to explain more here. My point is that, there are interactions between technology and rules, and it is not a one way interaction, but both ways. Technology changes the rules of the society and the rules determine on how the technology evolve.
But then in higher point of view, I realize that actually human creates the technology, which means human creates the rules. It is actually contradict the definition of rules as code to guide, control or even alter human behaviors. How could it controls human behavior if at the same time, human has the same power to change the rules? Again, it actually has the same conclusion that actually human and rules have a dynamic interactions where we can shape the rules, and the rules can shape us. Even though the whole ideas seem simple, but I found a very complex interaction here, which is expected in explaining social phenomena like this.
Suddenly, my mind recalls a very interesting dialogue taken from one of my most favorite movie, the second sequel of matrix trilogy films: Matrix Reloaded.
Councillor Harmann: Down here, sometimes I think about all those people still plugged into the Matrix and when I look at these machines I... I can't help thinking that in a way... we are plugged into them.
Neo: But we control these machines; they don't control us.
Councillor Harmann: Of course not. How could they? The idea is pure nonsense. But... it does make one wonder... just... what is control?
Neo: If we wanted, we could shut these machines down.
Councillor Harmann: [Of] course. That's it. You hit it. That's control, isn't it? If we wanted we could smash them to bits. Although, if we did, we'd have to consider what would happen to our lights, our heat, our air...
Neo: So we need machines and they need us, is that your point, Councilor?
Councillor Harmann: No. No point. Old men like me don't bother with making points. There's no point.
Neo: Is that why there are no young men on the council?
Councillor Harmann: Good point.
Then I realize that something have changed in my standard of living. That mobile phone and internet have been a crucial part of my life where I just can’t live without it; people around me can’t live without it. It is amazed me to see that in the history of human civilization, there is a part where technology have an important role in shaping the society, structuring the way they communicate, and even forming the rules of human life.
Last week lecture gave me a complete point of view on how this phenomena really works and on how the technology have changed the rules of human life. Based on the lecture, rules are defined as normative codes or prescriptions that guide, control, or alter decision-based behavior. It consists of 5 aspects, they are natural laws; human capabilities; collective and individual norms; local, national, and international law; and technological capabilities and standards.
As it is not possible to change natural law, so technology can do nothing about it (i.e. we can’t vanished or reduce the earth gravitational force so that all of use can fly, can we?). For human capabilities, it is quite tricky because as we can see, with the help of technology, human have more capabilities to do more things than before. But, in my opinion, technology does not change it, it is still as it is, what it does is only explore it more. So I can consider that technology does not change human capabilities.
The next 3 factors, called standard, norm, and law, change over time with the advancement of technology. I have explained above on how technology has changed my standard of living, but actually, human standards of living also determine how technology is developed. As example, as multitasking is part of our standard, so we demand technology to provide a gadget which can be used for many kind of tasks. Other example is on how technologies R&D try to make smaller and smaller electronic device as human deal with limited availability of spaces.
Technology has changed our norm and law in the same way and it is very easy to find the example that I do not need to explain more here. My point is that, there are interactions between technology and rules, and it is not a one way interaction, but both ways. Technology changes the rules of the society and the rules determine on how the technology evolve.
But then in higher point of view, I realize that actually human creates the technology, which means human creates the rules. It is actually contradict the definition of rules as code to guide, control or even alter human behaviors. How could it controls human behavior if at the same time, human has the same power to change the rules? Again, it actually has the same conclusion that actually human and rules have a dynamic interactions where we can shape the rules, and the rules can shape us. Even though the whole ideas seem simple, but I found a very complex interaction here, which is expected in explaining social phenomena like this.
Suddenly, my mind recalls a very interesting dialogue taken from one of my most favorite movie, the second sequel of matrix trilogy films: Matrix Reloaded.
Councillor Harmann: Down here, sometimes I think about all those people still plugged into the Matrix and when I look at these machines I... I can't help thinking that in a way... we are plugged into them.
Neo: But we control these machines; they don't control us.
Councillor Harmann: Of course not. How could they? The idea is pure nonsense. But... it does make one wonder... just... what is control?
Neo: If we wanted, we could shut these machines down.
Councillor Harmann: [Of] course. That's it. You hit it. That's control, isn't it? If we wanted we could smash them to bits. Although, if we did, we'd have to consider what would happen to our lights, our heat, our air...
Neo: So we need machines and they need us, is that your point, Councilor?
Councillor Harmann: No. No point. Old men like me don't bother with making points. There's no point.
Neo: Is that why there are no young men on the council?
Councillor Harmann: Good point.
