Synthesis 1

Leo Marx 

 "As for the hazardous character of the concept of technology, here I need only say that I am not thinking about weaponry or the physical damage wrought by the use of any particular technologies. The hazards I have in mind are conceptual, not physical. They stem from the meanings conveyed by the concept technology itself, and from the peculiar role it enables us to confer on the mechanic arts as an ostensibly discrete entity - one capable of becoming a virtually autonomous, all-encompassing agent of change."

Merritt Roe Smith

"To invest the concept of technology with agency is particularly hazardous when referring to technology in general"

In looking at the both of these statements, I'm having a difficult time arguing against the sentiments expressed by the both of these writers in light of the current state of affairs the world over; in fact I'm actually in small ways praying for a meteor strike. These quotes I've chosen to focus on, and the respective articles from which they were excerpted from are complimentary to each other. The essence of what Leo Marx and Merritt Roe Smith are saying is that the unique animal that the Technological world is has become a masquerade of arrogance as much as a body of scientific advancements. There is also, perhaps a part of the associated vanity, a real tendency to describe any advances with a sense of agency bestowed upon itself.

This arrogance is not new; it has been the way of those whom have the means to direct, command, or act as the direct benefactors or procurers of wonderments since antiquity. This has been true of nearly all arts and technological advancements, and so the creation of such things becomes not just a symbol of said advancement, but also of the long reach of the people whom attain it. This is a part of unique hubris that has been a major part of the developing industrial dialogue interwoven in the modern Western world. There has always been a frontier to conquer presented, wilds to be tamed, horizons to look toward, and groups of profiteers that congratulate their own ingenue in claiming vast sums of money in the process. Modern technology has been no different. 

The illusion provided to the common man is that they are attaining a piece of that greatness; whether it be the promise of interstate travel on a locomotive or be on the cutting edge of tech with the newest and most capable device, you're being told that you can be a part of that advancement. In very large part, this is a series of created need, betting stock futures on people's envy for the greatness of a presented lifestyle. These marketing tactics have had an unintended consequence, as people have long practiced the presentation of their own presented lifestyles expressing qualities that they admire. Recently, social media has allowed incredibly rapid and widespread information to become a part of that presented identity, a reflection of their created worldview. As social media companies rely upon clicks and screen time, it is to their advantage to create algorithms that extend their users engagement with the apps. This has provided an inauthentic arena where we are no longer actual people; we are story tellers, that have created an illusion of what our lives are, and are learning to market . The narratives that people ascribe to represent themselves can be convincing enough that the stresses experienced in these environments can be expressed as real emotional stresses that the mind cannot differentiate from their lives offline. 

Therein lies the "rub". As I personally interpret these messages while examining a long history of the aforementioned "frontiers" that have always been there to be mastered by the emboldened, one must always consider how it is presented. Broad statements are always issued regarding the brave new world that lies beyond those horizons now within reach due to the blessings provided to us by these new advances. One must remember, there is no agency greater than the personal choices one makes for themselves. It is folly to think that we're at the mercy of anything that does nothing but offer us choices under no duress.