Category: Effects of Technology

The definition of the gender identity it means that the individual’s perception of being either male, female, both male and female, or neither without necessarily conforming to the sex placed on them at birth. The society around them mainly determines the role of these genders. Children grow up knowing that specific societal roles are solely for a particular gender. Gender identity brings about gender-related bias in the society thus disadvantaging one gender over another. Individuals who do not believe in the societal definitions of gender and their roles are increasingly fighting against the traditional beliefs of gender. The use of technology in contemporary society has further highlighted what is believed to be the negative attributes of gender identity.

The gender identity is the main point in this discussion. In our modern society world gender identity is one of the huge problems that we are currently dealing with. In most cultures, people believe that male had more power which having the ability to impose one’s will while being female which people believe that they are having less power and being more accommodating. Today’s society has made significant headways when it comes to issues of gender identity. More individuals are deviating from the previously accepted notions of what it meant to be masculine or feminine. The current society increasingly understands ways and reasons individuals choose to identify themselves when it comes to their gender. Parents are also learning ways to which to nurture their children in a society that is placing more emphasis on the freedom of gender identity. Gender identity, although a contentious issue, will increasingly be more accepted as being a personal choice as compared to previous times. Miley Cyrus has reiterated expressed her belief of being gender neutral. She does not like the roles that are associated with being male or female. She is essentially advocating for a genderless society. Different individuals share and agree with her sentiments. However, the notion of gender is still alive and will be in place for a while to come.

The above opinions of gender identity being increasingly accepted as a personal choice and the fact that gender is not over can be corroborated through technology. As more advance of technology get, which has led to a more efficient society. It has also ensured that there is ease of access to information, which that lead to more awareness of the gender issue. The recognition created has meant that those wishing to choose their gender are accorded more freedom and credibility to do so. Gender has always been associated with the physical sex organs present at birth. However, an article in the New York Times revealed that the tendency for an individual to associate with a particular gender comes from the brain and not from the sex organs one is born with (Grady, 2018). Researchers pointed to the fact one’s gender is not determined by the anatomy, but by the brain and other biological factors. The report further highlights the fact that it is not an individual’s choice to identify as a transgender, gender neutral or any other form of gender identity. Technology has facilitated detailed scientific researches in the medical fields thus giving more credence to individuals seeking to choose their gender.

Further, technology has pointed to the fact that gender is still alive. Technology fields are predominantly male-dominated. In many of the research shows that female have to work harder than male which in order they can be more successful in the technology related area The issue of gender roles plays a part in ensuring fewer women enter into technology. Society provides that women are brought up believing that the technology fields are mainly meant for the men. Additionally, many of the companies intentionally hire men, as they feel, for one reason or another; because they believe that male are more suited for the role. If the issues of gender were over, more women would not find it difficult to venture into technology. Technology companies are designing gender biased algorithms in areas such as AI and online recruitment. A report in The Guardian pointed out the fact that technology companies such as Amazon had developed a system trained on male resumes as the company sought to predominantly recruit men thus disadvantaging the women (Hicks, 2018). Further, technology has changed the way we communicate with each other. With more advanced of the social media platforms has led to some users need to hide their real gender identity in order to avoid discrimination. Technology has indeed highlighted that gender is an issue still ingrained in society.

As mentioned by Winner (1986), technological innovations have the potential to wield political properties (p. 1). He further says that the fact that what determines the power of technology is not the technology itself but the society in which it is developed (Winner, 1986, p. 1). Further, Joerges (1999) also reveals that technology can be used to indicate something about a particular society (p. 18). Despite the headway the contemporary culture has made, it is still grappling with issues of gender identity in the IT field. Many are of the political opinion that the IT field should be in charge by male because the fact that misconception of perceived superiority men possesses as compared to women. Just as the bridges designed in New York were meant to prevent individuals of a lower economic, social class and the minority ethnic blacks from entering the Long Island beaches, there has also been an emergence of bias technology in the current society that aims at blocking the entry of women into IT. The male-dominated IT industry is trying to maintain a stronghold of their political views that essentially mean men are more productive which while compared to women.

One of the example is that Amazon and Facebook that were found to have deliberately designed recruiting systems that were trained to identify resumes according to gender giving preference to men. Amazon and Facebook believed that men would be more productive for their companies. Both of these companies developed systems that highlighted the gender bias that exists in IT as they held the political opinion of men being more productive as compared to women.

The film industry saw dynamic changes after the Second World War, which made Hollywood change its content and style. The Hollywood film industry experienced booming years between 1939 and 1946 with the industry significantly. As a result, their attendance and box receipts declined to almost half of the 1946 levels within seven years. The changes were triggered by many factors, most of which were external to the industry. In 1950, the movies were challenged and surpassed by television as the most known entertainment form in America. During the 1940s, the film played an essential role in shaping speech patterns, political viewpoints dressing styles, and moral attitudes. During the post-World War, most Americans owned televisions, which replaced movies as a dominant influence of the culture. This new medium could reach a wide range of audiences than the one attracted by motion pictures as images could be projected right into people’s homes. The formation of HUAC and the following events led to Hollywood being discouraged from producing politically controversial films. The widescreens and color cinematography were a core factor in reshaping the content of science fiction films and Hollywood movies. This paper discusses the post-war aesthetics of visual effects and the social-cultural implications revealed by the narratives, sequences, scenes, and setups produced by the impact.

The science fiction of postwar reflected some conditions of the Second World War through monster characters, space discovery, the modernity of the urban, and how the Hollywood studio used the analog visual effects. In the 1950s, the studio system had matured and represented the modernity of the postwar time through the narrative implication, periodical background, and setting of the science fiction films. The Hollywood transition in its meanings and techniques of creating visual effects reflects the transformation of culture from warlike to postmodernism state. Science fiction involves visual effects that develop by utilizing the change of structure of the systems of production and technological advancement. The classical Hollywood was actively controlled by the studio system as the mode of production gave birth to the creation of digital effects, especially with the concept rise of blockbuster and the emergence of new computer technologies. The postwar films were comprised of a characteristic feature of compressing time and space that occurred in the transition from Fordism to flexible accumulation and reveals that compressing time and space generates a process of development from analog visual effects like front projection to the digital effects like rotoscoping. The visual effects of the 1930s to 1940s are quite different from those of the 1950s onwards as the latter had qualitatively more exceptional examples of matte painting and rear projection, which was the trend of making films.

The Forbidden Planet formed the beginning of the era of science fiction, whose basic setting represented the Cold War. Fred Wilcox, the author of the Forbidden Planet film, vividly illustrated the cultural aftermath of World War II. The film, together with others like The Star Trek released in 1966 by Gene Roddenberry and The Angry Red Planet by Ib Melchior released in 1959, featured the spaceships which were utilized in the military aircraft to conquer the planets instead of the average civil aviation. The films also feature human characters instead of aliens, who were showed dressed in uniforms to show the strict hierarchy following the ranks of the military. For instance, the costume in Forbidden Planet resembles closely with the uniform by the United States Navy worn in the Second World war. The uniform had futuristic laser blast color with command mikes in the waists being the only difference. The lives showed too ordinary, and can be concluded to transfuse to those of the Second World War. The soldiers in uniform in the science fiction films the original Star Wars and The Forbidden Planet obey the hierarchy and the dazzling scenes of dogfight to represent modernity and postwar times in the superficial periodical settings. The crew dialog is comprised of orders and responses clearly representing the typical military hierarchy. It is worth noting that Forbidden Planet uses a unique style of dialogue quite different from the other science fiction films. This is portrayed in how the crew answers with “Aye, aye, sir” Naval style. The film, therefore, has a more realistic representation of the atmosphere in the Second World War through the spatial background of the planet Altair IV. The Behavior of the crew mirror what the soldiers of World War II did in their vacations. In the scene where Altaira makes a first appearance, all the crews, Farmen, Dr, Ostrow, and Adams, get charmed by her.

One of them, Farmen, attempts to flirt with her by suggesting a cup of coffee. In another scene, when Adam comes to a view monitoring check-up from the spaceship, Altaira receives a call from Chief Quinn. The image of soldiers during the Second World War is clearly portrayed in this scene, illustrating the typical moments of war films when soldiers are on vacation like it is shown in the film From Here to Eternity by Fred Zinnemann (1953). Moreover, the landscapes featured in the science fiction apply a cinematic technique to portray the Cold War battlefields. This is shown in Forbidden Planet, where the house of Dr. Morbius is shown as “a Southern Californian-style high modernist household that has a full landscape and furnishings (Lerer 2000, p.84). The landscape is, however, not a beach, although viewers can see the desert via the walls of the glass surrounding the living room. The cinematic application of this desert is that of “Southern California Wilderness” (p.84). This kind of setting in the Forbidden Planet, although somehow tries to deal with the future, draws the audience’s attention more to the past than the future.

Science Fiction films depict monster characters like Darth Vader in the film Star Wars, Hal in the film 2001 A Space Odyssey, and Id in the Forbidden Planet, who represent a reflection of the Cold War-era paranoia and maintains the self/awakening possibility of the enemy attack. The films value rationality of anything strange, unreasonable, and unknown, with humans justifying the distorted effects of the civilization of machinery through humanity, including Luke’s Force, the intelligence of Bowman, and the leadership of Adam. The films explicitly distinguish between wartimes and post-war development. There is extensive use of Cel animation that supports the Forbidden Planet’s application of Freudian psychoanalysis. Hollywood made exclusive use of the subjective quintessentially modern theory hence granting the film a postwar development. Appearances of cel animation are made in moments filled with significant dramatic tension, that is when the monster makes appearances in Forbidden Planet. Audiences only perceive the footprint movements of the monsters since they are invisible. The only time it is seen is when it crashes on an electric fence or when hit by beams from the ray guns of crews. Cel animation draws the contour of the monster and visualizes the tension rising in the Cold War periods. The Forbidden Planet film unfolds the Freudian psychoanalysis, which remains among the significantly influential psychotherapy from the 1950s to 1970s. The monster represents the character of Dr. Morbius, who was obsessed excessively with future technology as it is the case with that of the United States in acquiring technology in the period of war. In a particular scene, Dr. Morbius attempts to hide the Krell technology to the C-57D crew to remind viewers of the war information about the new technology during the period of the Second World War. In self-sacrifice, the Altair IV is destroyed to portray the mixed desire and fear of technology during the periods of war. The cel animation, therefore, represents the postwar development through the Id of Dr. Morbius monster. It is a Freudian psychoanalysis cinematic embodiment of the extreme obsession with the Cold War advanced technology.

Time-space compression began in the 1950s with Tron providing the first model in the realm of visual effects. Time-space compression exists in the film itself and the process of production. In the film Tron, there is a scene where Flynn hangs on a Solar Sailer operated by Tron and Yori to synthesize the landscape withing the CG computer, the live-action footage of Flynn and the solar Sailer which was computer-generated. The scene has projections of different periods as well as spaces, where a virtual camera captures the time-space compression. This kind of digital compression can be thought of as a reflection of the time-space compression of the perspectives of culture. The CGIs were produced at different times and places and compressed into single space and time. The elements of style used in the Tron film comprise bricolage, which is extracted from the space of the scientific film. The used elements of style, which include editing, cinematography, mise-en-scene, and sound, are appropriated mostly from the ones in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, or the Star Trek. Tron draws space representation from the earlier scientific films of space. For example, the Sark’s Carrier moving in the air looks more like the mothership’s flying in space in the scientific films.

The Science fiction films of the 1950s reveal a leitmotif space conquest that represents the grand recourse of discovering space from then to the 1980s when the United States maintained a Cold War with the Soviet Union. Soviet Union launched Sputnik I.A, their original artificial satellite in 1857, when the history of exploring space was initiated. The United States, later in 1958 launched the Explorer after receiving the impetus from the space advancement of the Soviet Union. The first human to orbit the earth was a Russian named Yuri Gagarin who orbited for 108 minutes initiating the stiff competition of exploring the space between the Soviet Union and the United States (Park, 2005). The United States since then concentrated its technology and energy into space exploration, eventually launching the Apollo Rockets between the 1960s and 1970s, making the climax for the space race. This illustrates a new age of exploring the space, which was an aspect significant to the policies of the Cold War.

The space exploration grant narrative, which was initiated in 1957 at the time of the Cold War influenced the Science Fiction film genre space. Robert Wise in 1954 produced The Day the Earth Stood Still, which represented the tension brought about by the Cold War in the relationship between one of the ideal American character named Klaatu and a monster figure known as Gort. The science fiction films 20 Million Miles to Earth by Nathan Juran (1957, Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Don Siegel (1956) and The Forbidden Planet mirrored the outer world was growing interest in the 1950s post-war times. The space discovery competition peaked between the 1960 and 1970 years, with more science fiction films continuously updating it in the films Queen of Blood by Curtis Harrington in 1965, Mutiny in Outer Space by Hugo Grimaldi in 1964, A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick in 1968, Marooned by John Sturges in 1969 and finally the Silent Running by Douglas Trumbell in 1972.

Science fiction films make use of analog visual effects that reveal the efficiency of the studio system in the post-wartime. The effects commonly utilized in them include front projection and matte painting. Hollywood studios found it hard to produce set and therefore used Matte painting to replace it as well as to reduce the location cost of shooting. This made the work of the producers economic and with greater efficiency. On the other hand, front and rear projection improve the aesthetics of the modernism of the science fiction films under the Fordist economic system by displacing time and space of the background scenery previously filmed of the tradition of attractions of the cinema. The first project had an application named Zoptic system, which was introduced in Superman. The application raises the perspective sense in the long fight of Superman. The film Star Wars was supported by the motion control system to take scenes with realistic dogfights in the Hollywood studio freely. The films Star Wars, Forbidden Planet, Superman, and 2001: A Space Odyssey can be used to illustrate visual effects in the analog era reflect Cold War in Postwar development. The 1954 Forbidden Planet film represents the blockbuster film and makes the audience appreciate the worth of the matte painting.

On the other hand, 2001: A Space Odyssey portrays a revolutionary film when looking at the perspective of the visual effects. The beauty of space is clearly described through the front projection. The film brings out exquisite accordance between the audio score and the visual image with some philosophical depth that takes the film to the stage of the arts. Hollywood also produced the Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, marking a unique and new spectacle epoch such as the Zoptic and in it, is a reality of urban modernity.

Most Science fiction films are city-oriented and use a symbol of the contemporary cityscape as the main stage of the actions of the hero in Superman. Clark Kent in Superman migrates from Smallville to Metropolis, where he practices his ambition of serving the people. According to Nitin Govil (2002), the narratives of science fiction come from the modernity experiences of the urban. There is a narrative of upward modernity that provides Superman with urban modernization leitmotif revealed in the story of a country boy going to a metropolis to look for his success. Superman flies through the Metropolis Skyscraper to represent postwar development.

The science fiction films of 1950s factors in a technological state that represents specials effects of tour de force. In addition, the science fiction was enriched by a sense of wonder, which widens its meaning and scope, as seen in The Forbidden Planet’s main themes. This technological state has remained intact over time, with Forbidden Planet standing the test of time more than it was imagined initially. David Hartwell also provides a sense of wonder in his Age of Wonders, portraying the wideness of space and time in an exciting science of fiction. This sense of humor and wonder in science fiction provided audiences with a vicarious experience of extraordinary events as they perceive time-scales and forces much more than one can witness in the course of their life. The film Forbidden Planet is an excellent example of movies that readily puts the audience face to face with the marvels of the possible. The film incorporates various technological developments of postwar Hollywood filmmaking with each producing significance effects. The forbidden planet shows how science fiction is an ideal genre through which the anxieties of the Cold War politics can be explored adequately. The context of America in the 1950s is well related through the ways in which the science fiction film presents the issues of sexual politics and gender. Generally, the science fiction in the 1950s presented viewers with an imaginative translation of a cultural makeup which allowed people to synthesize geographic nexus like America and postwar developments.

Has Technology Exceeded our Humanity?

After recently watching James Ponsoldt’s The Circle and Oliver Stone’s Snowden my mind became quickly flooded with thoughts that perhaps I did not fully understand the vastness that is the internet. The fact that we are trying to keep up with the latest gadgets and devices has made me a slave to technology? And if I’ve fallen in the trap, then how many others have allowed technology to exceed their humanity?

Technology has been ridding the world of man’s benevolence and men has increasingly become dependent on technological innovations. People aren’t aware that they are losing the ability to think for themselves, being able to sit quietly by themselves. School kids in general can’t sit down for a minute, let alone 30 seconds without having to be on their phones to see what someone else is doing. Always being watched, kids can’t be deviceless for more than 30 seconds and that’s being kind. As “The Circle” envisions it, technology’s dystopian near future is already here. The circle, as the company is called, takes pride in collecting personal information about everyone and processing it analytically – “all to serve you better?” The company launches a miniature camera that can be placed anywhere, to record anything. To prove to the world that this new technology is the best thing to happen to democracy, the gullible and naïve Mae, volunteers to “go transparent”, sharing and broadcasting every facet of her life, save for three-minute breaks to the toilet. The circle being that they are literal examples of people who are driven to being transparent, they don’t have any freedom at all. The idea of being transparent is to be free but the irony is that they are not, because they are constantly being watched by the world. The director has cleverly positioned the audience to see the isolation that develops through the transparency that Mae volunteers for. The It is looking at the opposite where the government is literally keeping tabs on people and they are claiming it for safety. That’s all well and good, but is it really necessary to listen to a phone call that I’m having with my grandmother? Wouldn’t you feel alarmed if your every move was being watched?

The fact that we have so much information and data on everyone else, we really have no self-esteem. Technology is impacting our own health and how we think and what we do. In the Circle, Mae’s friend is portrayed as happy and chirpy at first, keen to work for the circle. But as the movie progresses she becomes deteriorated to the point where she tries to kill herself, eventually escaping to an island. The director skillfully positions the audience to see that an individual’s life is negatively impacted from the advancement of technology.

After recently watching James Ponsoldt’s The Circle and Oliver Stone’s Snowden my mind became quickly flooded with thoughts that perhaps I did not fully understand the vastness that is the internet. The fact that we are trying to keep up with the latest gadgets and devices has made me a slave to technology? And if I’ve fallen in the trap, then how many others have allowed technology to exceed their humanity? It is basic human rights to have privacy, although technology is being used as a tool to spy on others and invade our privacy. The director positions the audience that without technology in this world, we can broaden our spectrum of knowledge, dive into the culture and arts the world can offer and lead a happy and healthy lifestyle. We have never been more vulnerable then now. The fact that we have so much information and so much data on everyone else, we really have no self-esteem, it’s impacting our own health, how we think and what we do.

Now is the time to make the decision that privacy cannot die.

Technology is aiding in our safety, but is it really the price we want to pay? Although, the internet was designed to make interpersonal relationships more connected through various apps including snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and dating sites, it has ironically, made man more isolated than ever. We never felt more apart. We’ve never been more vulnerable. The fact that they claim to bring us closer, but we’ve never been more distance, socially and emotionally. Furthermore, the snowden reveals a dark and ominous tone, whereas in the circle it portrays a very light, bright and happy tone as if everything is wonderful in the world. However, it’s almost more sadistic than snowden. Snowden is frightening, but it has realism behind it and you can see it working. In vast contrast, the circle exposes bright colours to flip the intended message and make it seem more dramatic. Technology is aiding in our safety (bit positive twist) but is it really the price we want to pay. Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, dating sites, everything that’s supposed to connect people but never felt more apart. We’ve never been more vulnerable. So, the fact that they claim to bring us closer, but we’ve never been more distance, socially and emotionally.

So, while it is aiding in our safety, is it really the price we want to pay, to give up our humanity for the sake of advancement in technology.

People aren’t aware that they are losing the ability to think for themselves, being able to sit quietly by themselves, school kids, in general, can’t sit down for a minute, let alone 30 seconds without having to be on their phones to see what some else is doing they need their phones. Exceeded our humanity- before the internet existed you use to have to memorize phone numbers, obesity and disease, the circle being that they are literal examples of people who are driven to being transparent that they don’t have any freedom. the idea of being transparent is to be free but the irony is that they are not free because everyone is watching them. The snowden it’s looking at the opposite where the government is scary and dark tone. The government is literally keeping tabs on people, and they are claiming it’s for safety. That’s all well and good but is it really necessary to listen to a phone call that I’m having with my grandmother. The circle is very light, bright and happy. It seems everything is in a wonderful world, but it’s almost more sadistic than snowden, because Snowden is scary but has realism behind it and you can see it working. But the circle uses bright colours to flip it and make it seem more dramatic. I fear the day when the technology overlaps our humanity or has it happened already? It sure seems that way, and we are the ones who killed it without even knowing it.

Creativity is a word that is hard to define. It might have a a lot different definitions , but through the use of imagination, creativity in its simple terms refers to the act of making something authentic, original, or unusual. And humanity is basically humankind. So, when we presented the real question, “is technology really killing creativity and humanity” many individuals say that yes, it is. Due to technology, it is way easier and simpler to access to school work or any kind of information we search for or even hack into other apps and steal others personal data with just a click of a button making privacy much widespread, without them knowing but that’s not the argument, often the crux of the debate is that we are sacrificing our original thought for the sake of keeping ourselves constantly entertained in our lives. Nowadays we find people of all age groups fully dependent on social media and technology most of their idle times which can Impact their mental and physical health in daily bases. Our world today is much silent than ever before. Me being a student and as a public transporter, I hardly spot people in schools and public places laughing, chatting or making eye contact. Finally, I understand why people rarely communicate with other individuals , and this kind of huge issue is caused every day by a small device most people carry in their pockets: a phone. By destroying the significance of mobile Internet devices, the excessive use of mobile Internet devices kills humanity. A ordinary teen makes eye contact between 40 and 60 percent in a daily conversation, according to Quantified Impressions communications analytics company, but physical attachment is built when eye contact is made during 60-70 percent of the conversation. Unfortunately, because their eyes are so attracted to their phones most of the day, people now tend to avoid getting eye contact with others which they might find “awkward” or “weird”.

It is stated that an average person spends eight hours sleeping every day, one hour travelling , eight hours at work or school, and 5 hours on social media(according to research indicates), that person has only two hours left to do stuff of their own in the free time.. Would this person spend two- or three-hours communicating face-to – face with others? The answer seems to be ‘No.’ a few individuals may contend that mobile Internet devices actually give us more chances to communicate with each other. On the other side of the argument however, is that people also argue that technology simply redefines creativity. The fear is, of course, that children have replaced passive screen activities, such as gaming, for conventionally creative hobbies such as painting, building and experimenting which is not so common in the present even for little children in the age as young as 2, which impacts their future. However, despite the fact that modern kids have higher media consumption rates than any previous generation, and it’s at its highest yet, it is not always true that there is a lack of creativity in their screen activities. Many kids use the internet to write blogs, create websites, and make games at a young age. Some kids might be antisocial known as introverts which they might feel more comfortable being on media then communicating outside but, it’s indeed fair to argue that technology can restrict youthful people’s creativity, but it is not usually fair to assume that technology reduces young people’s creativity. We need to give credit to kids for the fact that they often simply use the tools and resources to help get recognition from other people around the world, and show off the talent they have and communicate with them online.

Scientific research tells us that the state of being lost in thought enhances our creativity and humanity, we need time to daydream. Are we inhibiting that daydream time if we fill any possible down time with scrolling through devices? Creativity is often referred to as a discipline of ‘use as well as lose it’. You might be working in a creative specific job, but even by being continuously attached to a device, you could kill your mind.

To sum up everything that has been stated, technology can come very handy most of the time, and I’m not against that decision but Yes , it is quite obvious that in many industries, technology has saved countless lives and will save much more in the future as it is getting more and more advanced throughout the years, but alas the awareness of the use of technology has caused the loss of personal interactions and maybe the bad use of technology can lead to the end of the world in a few years. But for me, concentrating on today, technology has made people ignorant, dumb and not worthy of interacting with other human beings. And lack of original thoughts and imagination in the art community. Look around you, only.

People, even when they’re with their friends, they are always on their phones looking on the screens and smiling like idiots, texting 24/4 with no physical contact and communications. I believe and I’m aware that education is very important in order to be able to use technology wisely, and that is what schools and relatives and societies concentrate on firstly, so that in our lives we can be ready to cooperate future technology Our mindset are being demolished by technology. It does so because it has so effectively came in our lives that it’s hard to get away from it. As everything has become quite artificial, we have lost our ability to live naturally. All the faces in selfies with fake smiles show that individuals are becoming lonelier than it has ever been, if only life was like the days before technology was a thing.

Origins

As far back as the Stone Age, Man has sought to understand the world around him and make it inhabitable. Initially attributing natural phenomena and occurrences to the actions of gods and the spiritual, we eventually looked to science to explain the intricacies of our lives and ultimately make it easier through the application of technology. Thus from our most recent history stretching as far back as the 18th century and coinciding with the industrial revolution in England, technological advancement has been the foundation of modern economic growth and has played a vital role in powering the engines of increasingly globalized states.

Since then, we have gone on to harness the power of technology across two major “industrial revolutions” – the technological and computer – in order to create devices, products and services that have enabled us exploit natural resources and optimize our human and earthly experience. Technology, also enabled us develop highly standardized and specialized economic systems characterized by more efficiency and effectiveness and which, generated more output, drove increased consumption and created more prosperity and wealth. Apart from the economic benefits accruing from the application of technology, technology itself has become a bedrock of modern life, as countries and individuals became increasingly digitized. Mundane tasks typically executed using physical exertion of strength or through painstaking time-consuming processes are now literally done with the “touch of a button”. An example is written two-way communication, which evolved from letters sent via hawks and pigeons (depending on what side of the global geographic divide a person resided in), and are now typed and sent in real time with lighting fast response rates. Everywhere around us, we can see the manifestation of this in the form of cars, mobile handheld computers, smart watches, wireless headsets etc. which we all rely on in one way or the other to accomplish tasks and to live seamless lives altogether. The benefits of the integration of technology into our daily lives are innumerable and are apparent that there is almost no contesting this. We have become ever more connected and in-sync, more productive and in many ways, smarter. Technology has also helped us better the quality of our lives through improved healthcare, medical facilities, devices and disease combating drugs.

The Current Status Quo

While there have undoubtedly been widespread benefits arising from technological advancement and its application across several sectors and industries, we cannot but recognize the costs and attendant negative effects generated by this process. Apart from the more obvious issues such as environmental damages caused by extracting metals and rare earth minerals (essential inputs in devices such as processors and computer chips), cancer causing radiation emitted by various devices and pollution from increased energy use and carbon emission amongst others, there have been some more salient human centered effects. One of these is the increased disconnectedness arising from our interconnectedness; several researchers have noted the ways in which being plugged in has reduced people’s awareness to their environments and has made them more distant from people within close proximity. Professor Larry Rosen of California State University one of the proponents of this view, stated that proliferation of social technologies and computing devices have made us connect more virtually and less in real life. This has led to many individuals admitting to having increased feelings of loneliness and related unhappiness reinforced by this notion of not having real life connections. It is not hard to recall a mental image of groups of friends gathered around a table for dinner but all looking into their phones connecting with “virtual” people while failing to enjoy physical time with their friends in “the here and now”. Furthermore, our brain and body chemistries are experiencing changes from the increased use of digital devices and internet services; Andi Horvath notes that our attention, focus, sleep cycles and memories have all been affected by increased use of technology. His research shows that the pre-frontal cortex – the part of the brain responsible for decision-making and short-term memory – is affected by increased use of digital devices.

This issue has also been identified as a medical condition in several individuals – known as “Digital Dementia” – with people diagnosed claiming they have experienced decrease in brain activity and loss in short term memory, similar to patients suffering from dementia. All this points to one major issue, we are all increasingly becoming addicted to our digital devices and invariably becoming “slaves” to technology. If we can also agree that social interaction is at the core of our humanity and technology has contributed to its deterioration, we can thus conclude that this is making us lose some of our humanity and our freedom to be human. Human beings are becoming in a manner of speaking, zombies of some sorts plugged into their screens with drool dripping from their mouths, unable to pull away.

Although this may seem extreme and resting in the realms of science fiction, I believe that taking a closer look at the various dimensions of freedom, we can determine if this presents a valid concern to humanity. Studying the ideas of the premier philosophers who addressed the issue of freedom, we can see three very common threads with respect to the dimensions of freedom. Freedom is seen as the ability of man to express his free will unencumbered, make choices and decisions without constraint and live without being subject to another. Hence, if we are experiencing depletion of our willpower arising from with the endless digital propositioning, finding it difficult to make decisions without the aid of our digital devices and the information they provide, and are dependent on our digital devices, it is safe to say that our most basic freedom – to be human – is under attack by technology.

A Future Evolutionary Scenario

Having established that technology in many ways has constrained our being and existence as independent humans, it is important to ask the question “What might the future look like?”. After reviewing and analyzing the works, views and opinions of various researchers, thought leaders and experts on this issue, I present below a scenario of a possible human-machine evolutionary pathway. This simulation shows how interactions between man and technology (machine) at each of the stages of a possible evolution will affect our “freedom to be human”:

• Stage one – Technology as a crutch: this stage, the by-product of the third industrial (or digital) revolution is where humanity is currently at and it is characterized by increasing dependence on our devices as they feature more in our everyday lives. Technology and the devices born from it have become somewhat of a crutch, which we need to move, communicate, navigate, be entertained and in many ways survive. This is also the first step in losing our freedom to be human; particularly, people are trading up their time to be more connected and for a chance to use their devices.
• Stage two – Technology as an organ: this is the next step, which I believe the human machine interaction will take and it will be born out of the fourth industrial revolution, especially the interaction between 5G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Virtual and Augmented Reality. Here, we will see more emphasis on and a renewed drive towards synergy between man and machine (what some call cybernetics), and use of technology to enhance our “humanity”. Although not here yet, this has already been depicted in movies such as “Ghost in the Shell” and the latest Fast and Furious spin-off “Hobbs and Shaw”, where both key protagonists and antagonists were mechanically upgraded giving them superhuman abilities. In this stage, the line between man and machine will be severely blurred; several questions we need to consider as this comes upon us are: “What does it mean to be human?”, “is our reality real, or just a figment being projected by audio-visual implants?”, “Are our decisions entirely ours, or subject to our mechanical selves, which we might have no control over?”.
• Stage three – Technology as master: This is the last and final step in this evolutionary scenario, a point where machines achieve the level of sentience and invariably take-over from humans. Several individuals have warned about this – notable of which is Elon Musk[footnoteRef:8] – and this was depicted in the groundbreaking movie, the Matrix It is here many people believe that machines will eventually enslave the entire human populations and we ultimately lose our freedom.

The Way Forward – Creating a Utopian Future

At this point, a person reading this may be tempted to think that it is all doom and gloom and there is no salvation in sight. I however believe that with a globally coordinated and proactive response to these issues, we can stay on top of it all and control the outcomes. I thus propose below a set of recommendations and action steps relating to each of the simulated evolutionary phases that can be taken to ensure we can harness the good and stave of the bad:

Stage one

• Designate technology free zones
• Dedicate more time to human centered interaction

One major way to deal with the obsession and addiction to digital devices is to create technology free safe spaces where individuals can play, live and work. Close to this, people should emphasize and dedicate more time to connecting and interacting with “real” humans, especially for children and young adults.

Games and fun activities can be created for people to participate in; this would help to not only generate fun but to also challenge people’s minds, thus providing constructive alternatives to mindless digital surfing.

• Households
• Local communities and townships

Stage two

Increased regulatory oversight by governments on AI and human-machine integration technologies

According to Mahesh Ramachandran, a partner at Pontaq, “Innovation always precedes regulation”. However, if we are to stay ahead of the curve and avoid the negative effects of the man-machine synergy, we need governments and their agencies to pay more attention to regulating such technologies.

Governments and multilateral organizations should dedicate more time, and resources to overseeing technologies such as implants in order to ensure that potential applications that may be harmful can be prevented.

• National Governments and Agencies
• Multilateral organizations (e.g. UN)

Stage three

• Increases regulation and oversight
• Inserting a “kill-switch” within certain devices

Even though government oversight may be effective in this phase, the one bold move that can be implemented is to insert a backdoor or kill switch within certain technologies and devices that gives humanity an opportunity to disable them in the event that they spiral out of control.

• National Governments
• Private technology companies

I would agree with many people, especially those who advocate for smaller governments that regulation can create some inefficiency in resource allocation and functioning of markets. However, ensuring the continued survival and thriving of humanity requires radical and unorthodox action; in addition, if we believe that technology was made for man, and not man for technology, this course of action is then worth considering.

Implementing this framework of recommendations will give us an opportunity to enjoy the current and future benefits accruing from technological advancement. We would be able to create a future where there is harmonious coexistence between man and technology and man even harnesses it for the general good and advancement of our shared experience. It would also ensure that alongside this, humanity does not become subject to our creation and invariably lose our freedom to express and explore our beings and our most basic freedoms to choose and express will devoid of any external encumbrance.

Bibliography

1. Calonico, Scott. “Is Technology Making Us Less Human? – Kumulos.” Kumulos, August 7, 2013. https://www.kumulos.com/2013/08/07/is-technology-making-us-less-human/.
2. Dowd, Maureen. “Elon Musk’s Billion-Dollar Crusade to Stop the A.I. Apocalypse.” The Hive. Vanity Fair, March 26, 2017. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/03/elon-musk-billion-dollar-crusade-to-stop-ai-space-x.
3. https://www.the-philosophy.com/author/thephilo. “Freedom in Philosophy: Quotes, Concepts, Authors.” Philosophy & Philosophers, May 27, 2019. https://www.the-philosophy.com/freedom-in-philosophy.
4. Manyika, James, and Charles Roxburgh. “The Great Transformer: The Impact of the Internet on Economic Growth and Prosperity.” Mckinsey Global Institute, 2011. https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/Industries/Technology%20Media%20and%20Telecommunications/High%20Tech/Our%20Insights/The%20great%20transformer/MGI_Impact_of_Internet_on_economic_growth.ashx.
5. Thrive Global. “Disconnection in a Connected World – Thrive Global.” Thriveglobal.com, October 22, 2018. https://thriveglobal.com/stories/disconnection-in-a-connected-world-2/.
6. tkm5196. “Is Technology Really Making Us Less Social? | SiOWfa15: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy.” Psu.edu, September 16, 2015. https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/09/16/is-technology-really-making-us-less-social/.
7. University of Melbourne. “How Does Technology Affect Our Brains? | VOICE.” Archive-it.org, June 13, 2015. http://wayback.archive-it.org/org-197/20160102020402/http://voice.unimelb.edu.au/volume-11/number-6/how-does-technology-affect-our-brains.
8. Venkatraman, Hemamalini. “Innovation Precedes Regulation: Pontaq Partner.” dtNext.in, October 21, 2019. https://www.dtnext.in/News/TopNews/2019/10/21015944/1193176/Innovation-precedes-regulation-Pontaq-Partner.vpf.

Technology has changed our lives. In the ever-developing modern society, technology seems to be an inextricable part of humanity. However, many people are focusing on how advanced automation can be, so much that alarmingly, few people are concentrating on how the negative impacts on humans have advanced due to automation. In fact, technology has more negative effects on us than positive, for it hinders our interpersonal relationship (P1), poses a significant threat to various jobs worldwide (P2), and also makes us more and more indolent. (P3) (Thesis)

First, advancements in technology are making us lazier. (TS1, P3) Thanks to the boatload of robot vacuum cleaner brands, there is no longer a need to get ourselves busy and exhausted with mops and dusters as those tiny robot vacuums will do the job for us. (Ev1) With online shopping, goods can be delivered right to our doorsteps with only a few taps on our tablet or computer while comfortably lying on the sofa at our home. (Ev2) These technologies all allows us to be passive when we ought to be walking around cleaning our homes with a broom or maybe strolling through the supermarket to see what we need for dinner. As a matter of fact, the laziness lowers our motivation and willpower, and may in turn manifest as procrastination, affecting our productivity in the long term. (El)

Further, automatons are taking over jobs of millions worldwide. (TS2, P2) According to a McKinsey Global Institute report, around 375 million jobs worldwide will have died out by 2030. (Ev1) An Oxford study in 2017 also predicted job losses of up to nearly 50% in 50 years. (Ev2) These statistics clearly show beyond doubt that the automatons, which we are putting in all our efforts, time and money to develop, will soon replace most of our jobs. (El1) Works most likely to be automated will be cashiers and office clerks, while some jobs, for instance, bridge toll collectors and railway ticket collectors, have already been replaced by machines. The automatons are truly going to leave many of us jobless in the near future. (El2)

Last but not least, technology is undermining our face-to-face communication skills. (TS3, P1) Popular culture may suggest that the various social media platforms have brought us great convenience in contacting friends and families. True, but have you ever been out with friends and noticed all of you were spending more time scrolling through posts on social platforms rather than chatting with each other? (Ev1) Thanks to technology, we are basically turning into zombies, oblivious to our surroundings. The situation is even worse for adolescents that have been brought up in the Information Age since they are not given a chance to develop conversation skills, thus, many miss out on the primary elements of natural communication, such as listening and more importantly, speaking. (El)

In conclusion, technology not only makes us passive (P3) but also puts millions of job at risk (P2) and affects our interpersonal skills (P1). (Thesis) Unfortunately, it is impossible to obviate the use of technology in this technologically advanced era. In many ways, technology is more of a curse than a blessing.

Whether its technology such as touch screen phones, laptops (handheld computers), smart TVs, etc. Machines all serve their purpose to help benefit us in our daily lives. The industry constructing machines creates a huge need of laborers to work with and run machines. In result of the increased labor filled from open employment opportunities, and production. Companies noticed economic profits increase drastically and humanity gains large benefit from using machines, also it leads to massive improvement in worker efficiency.

First and foremost, I believe overall that machines are ultimately here to assist humans and make our lives easier. Machines perform work faster than human beings. Machines accomplish tasks at a high efficiency rate. A machine can perform a job in an hour or less that a human would generally take weeks to complete. Organizations, companies, etc., utilize machines which will enable them to produce more goods or services within a respected time frame. With the use of a machine, an organization will be able to accomplish tasks, and ensure that there are no delays to their customers.

Machines have an advantage as that they do not get exhausted, as opposed to human labor, a machines can be programmed to work a full 24 hrs without getting tired. For example, in a factory a forklift can work for twenty-four hours without getting exhausted. A machine is also not concerned with its working hours as opposed to the human beings who will only work for eight hours per day and any hour above that will be paid as overtime. Machines won’t require that they need to get paid for working overtime. Once a machine is constructed you don’t have to add it to the payroll. Although their assets to build them prove to be very costly they do not need to be paid a salary or a wage. The money which the organization would have used as salaries shifts into part of the profit. A machine will operate in the same way and will not vary with time. This is very important especially in mass productions where the organization needs to produce a lot of goods which are similar with one another. It makes it easier to test the quality of the goods since just a sample is needed and it acts as a representative of the rest of the products. The sample is a true representation since the machine produced goods which were all the same.

Subsequently, humans actually play a key part into why machines post a threat to humans. A prime of example this is gun violence. Even though guns are classified as dangerous, its ultimately the wielder’s decision of how they choose to use them. As the years go by many innocent lives are lost to random acts of gun violence. Whether its targeted from anger, greed, jealousy, etc., humans always find a way to use guns for the wrong reasons. According to a post from the NY Times, more people died from firearm injuries in the United States last year than in any other year since at least 1968, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 39,773 gun deaths in 2017, up by more than 1,000 from the year before. Even though guns were primarily created to protect and defend humans find ways to improperly them for inexplicable reasons. Another example of how humans are destructive with machines is drunk driving. Drunk drivers threaten not only their lives but the lives of those who are on the streets with them. Studies shown that every day, almost 30 people in the United States die in drunk-driving crashes—that’s one person every 48 minutes in 2017. Even though cars are a valid source of transportation, impaired individuals shouldn’t be operating the vehicle but it always comes about somehow.

In sequence and response to Stephen Hawking’s claim that AI may one day equip computers with the tools to outsmart humans and the possibility that robots will post a grave danger to humankind, I would agree. Artificial Intelligence poses threat to humanity. Respected individuals in the field of science and technology such as Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking have voiced their concerns on this issue. If professionals that are well accredited in working with AI show concern then that should be a major red flag. Imagine if Artificial Intelligence got control of things like weapons and weapon control systems. This would mean that they have the ability to attack various targets without humans’ direction. This would be extremely disastrous. People need to worry about the effects that artificial intelligence will have on humanity. Scientists have issued a warning towards the development of AI will result in mass unemployment. This is because the machines will have the ability to outperform humans in the execution of different tasks. With recent advancement of technology in today’s age, there could be a great risk that AI could become smart enough to invent their own AI based off their previous software but just as an upgraded version. AI could be capable of copying the human tendencies and mimic us or even worse, adjusting themselves to believe they are superior towards us.

In conclusion, the real threat of machines stems from humans and how they use them. Usually machines are created to serve a certain purpose, but it’s up to the user and their intentions whether it proves to be ethical or not. Things such as cyberbullying, drunk driving, gun violence, etc all prove how humans wrongfully use machines. Wrongful use of these machines all come from a sample of different sources such as insanity, envy, greed, etc., all negative intentions. For example, back around July 2013, Danielle Parker killed her romantic partner, an East Point police officer, in early July after the two had split up and she learned that Crystal Parker had moved on.

On the positive side, machines generally help out employees and companies, the use of machines in the industry main purpose is to improve worker efficiency and overall promote company production with customer satisfaction. But on the contrary, artificial intelligence does have the possibility to one day outsmart humans. With advancements of technology today AI can find a way to find enter certain databases and recontrust or improvise on their own tools for the better of themselves. Intelligence machines could ultimately think they are the superior race and plan to evade the human race altogether.

Our understanding of the current world can be relayed through many mediums such as the likes of art and literature, science fiction being one of the most influential genres. Although science fiction may not be able to predict the future, it is able to encapsulate our modern context and beliefs thus science fiction is capable of ultimately shaping our perspective and our perception on reality. I will be completing an A2 sized art work poster for my PBL, incorporating a variety of science fiction genres into my artwork that will convey to viewers on the limitless potential that science fiction can bring. Science fiction has the ability to trigger interest in the development of new technologies, such inspirations also pave the way for breakthroughs. Star trek was one of the founding fathers for the genre of space and exploration. If you look closely enough, I have included Captain Kirk, commandant of a spaceship named the Starship enterprise which I’ve also included. The colloquialism in “Beam me up Scotty!” epitomise the advanced technology in the star trek series to the extent of teleportation becoming commonplace.

Captain Kirk can also can be seen with a device in his hand, formally known as the communicator which shares remarkable similarities to that of modern smartphones. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the first cell phone saw the series and that it inspired him with “a stunning idea”. The personification of idea embodies the imaginative nature of Science fiction, its endless possibilities although may seem an unachievable concept, through time and technological improvement, they are made achievable.

Many science fiction genres go into depth to describe the world that its protagonist is situated in. Technological progress also gave extensive influence to our modern infrastructure, I’ve included a depiction of utopia and dystopia in my artwork, the left side of the city possessing highly advanced technologies where humans and machine live in perfect harmony and the right side undergoing war against self-aware machines.

Movies such as ‘The Matrix’ and ‘Mad Max Fury road’ are based on a dystopian society where its citizens live under constant fear. Movies such as ‘Minority report’ and ‘In Time’ depicts a perfect society, where technology and scientific knowledge are far superior compared to ours. Yet ironically under the surface, their world is still under constant a dystopian-like state.Science Fiction can also convey our innermost aspirations, especially that of interstellar space and into the depths of the unknown. ‘Star Wars’, ‘Aliens’ and ‘Star Trek’ utilized these dreams and was produced into critically acclaimed movies. My art work also includes space ships such as the SS Enterprise (Star Trek), The Millennium Falcon (Star Wars). Our fantasies of reaching beyond earth can also be included by current media and context, these ‘critically acclaimed hits’ wouldn’t’ve existed had the space race never occurred.

The genre of science fiction often explores how technology hinders people’s ability to perceive the world around them. Technology has improved several aspects of peoples lives, for example, phones have given people the ability to communicate with people all over the world and provides instant entertainment. However, through extreme technological advancement, people are unaware of the negative effects before it is too late, today’s society may be part of its own demise. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury depicts a technology dependent dystopian society where technological advancement has pushed humanity to achieve great things but at the caused of losing humanities creativity, critical thinking.

Technological advancement is so rapid in Fahrenheit 451, that despite the many advancements in technology, it is causing a downturn in society. Through analyzing Fahrenheit 451, the technology so deer the to the people will be shown as enforcement in their society for example, the hound is physical an enforcement and the parlor walls and seashells are visual or auditor enforcement, and will show how important the current society needs to pay attention to the advancement of technology in order to not make the same mistakes. In Fahrenheit 451, the society is so dependent on technology, they are consumed by it. The parlor walls are television screens that encompass entire walls just for their entertainment. Due to how immersive technology is, it negatively impacts their social skills and their conversations are meaningless which is evident when Clarisse states, “But they all say the same things and nobody says anything different from anyone else” (Bradbury 15).

The people do not think independently because they are constantly being blasted with “manipulating information and idea”, the government, “meticulously controls all aspects of political and social life through the of states power and modern technology” (Stillman 365), by telling people what to think, instead of letting them think for themselves, “but do you know, we never ask question, or at least most don’t; they just run the answers at you, bing, bing, bing” (Bradbury 29) stated by Clarisse. This quote brings light to how the government just gives you the answer and does not give you the ability to think and ask a question and be creative. The parlor walls that they adore have hypnotized them in a dangerous way. Montag asks his wife to turn the TVs off, but she rejects his request because she views the families in the television programs as “[her] family” (Bradbury 46). Technology has even replaced the meaning of the word family. With the constant technological advancement people become consumed with technology and start separating from the rest of the world.

The increasing demand for more technology is used to fulfill people’s desires like Mildred wanting to put in a fourth wall, in order to completely immerse herself into this fake reality. This symbolizes her total separation from the world outside of the television. The television shows how it distracts people from complex feelings and problems and becomes its own world, which serves society and not the individual. This is evident from the quote by Faber “But who has ever torn himself from the claw that encloses you when you drop a seed in a TV parlor? It grows you any shape it wishes. It is an environment as real as the world” (Bradbury 138). Faber is saying how the parlor walls have integrated society to have been given the ability to consume individuals in its own fantasy and encloses and separates them from society.

Seashell radio, used by Mildred extensively and others, is so overused that Mildred became an “expert in lip-read” (Bradbury pg.) and it has cut her off from day to day interactions with people. She is constantly needing stimulation, “That was all there was to it, really. An hour of monologue, a poem, a comment, and then without even acknowledging the fact that Montag was a fireman, Faber with a certain trembling, wrote his address on a slip of paper.” “’For your file,’’ he said, “’in case you decide to be angry with me.’’ (Bradbury 38), The rules do not even need to be enforced on the people, they are now self-imposed. For most people the rules are self-impose but for safe doing the government implements physical enforcement, The mechanical hound. which is used to silence and oppress and even killed a man that it thought was Montag. This society has put so much trust in technology similar We need to be cautious of the technology that we trust in, for example, Artificial Intelligence is becoming more and more clever and society is trusting it blindly.

By analyzing Fahrenheit 451 the citizens beloved technology was shown to have served as physiological and psychological enforcements to keep them in line and from acting out. The TV parlors served at visual enforcement blasting citizens with manipulative ideas, the seashells This book is more relevant then it has ever been in today’s society, people are becoming more and more distant from one another because of technology. People have become so oriented around technology and people need to be aware of the corruption it could produce.

Science fiction texts use futuristic conventions to explore fictional futures that work together to generate a commentary on the present. The film Gattaca (1997) directed by Andrew Niccol and short story Movement (2012) by Nancy Fulda both explore the detriments of technology that contribute to identity loss in fictional futures, focusing heavily on perfection rather than human ingenuity. Gattaca utilises these themes to suggest that human spirit will triumph against science and in circumstances of discrimination whereas Movement conveys the idea that identity should not be altered to fit the status quo.

Science fiction texts utilise the theme of technology to explore fictional futures to comment on the present. Gattaca portrays a society defined by pre-birth genetic engineering, which develops class segregation with those who have been naturally conceived, labeling them ‘Invalid’. On the other hand, Movement explores a world of technological advancement, with the ability to cure spectrum disorders – in this case, Hannah’s autism. In Gattaca, the audience is introduced to Vincent, an ‘Invalid’ who purchases the identity of a paralyzed ‘Valid’ athlete, Jerome Morrow, to fulfil his dream of going to space. Throughout the text, Niccol uses the cinematic technique of dialogue to convey that human experiences such as spirituality, love and respect cannot be determined by futuristic technology. For example, this quote by Vincent’s father “The only way you’ll see the inside of a space ship is if you’re cleaning it!’ depicts the lack of faith he has for his son due to his genetics not being altered by technology.

In Movement, there is also a futuristic element regarding the use of technology to eradicate disorders, however, Fulda explores the way Hannah perceives the world and her vulnerability to challenge this. Hannah’s father is very adamant on “fixing” her autism, placing hope in the experimental technological method of synaptic grafting proposed by the neurological research institute. In the text, Fulda creates many “lines” which highlight the extended observations Hannah makes, which she would be denied if she was to undergo the treatment. In the line, “The blossom lies crushed against the sidewalk, overshadowed by the smaller, sturdier plants that crowd above it”, the imagery provided to reflect Hannah’s thoughts present her unique generation of insights to the reader, proving that her condition allows her to create expansive thoughts that she would no longer possess if she was subject to the use of technology.

Thus, focusing on the use of technology as the focal point through which both composers tell their story, both texts construct fictional futures to generate a comment that genetic engineering and neurological technology will hurt, rather than help the human race.

Additionally, both texts use the theme of loss of identity to comment on the present in their respective fictional futures. In Gattaca, Niccol uses characterization to convey the reversal of roles between Vincent and Jerome – that Jerome being genetically superior, thus being advantaged initially in life becomes inferior to Vincent who was initially disadvantaged. Camera angles are used to convey the difference in power the characters possess, Vincent from a low angle to establish his authority and Jerome from a high angle to show his secondary status, even though Jerome was born with modified genetics. Niccol conveys that, since Vincent’s loss of identity has worked in his favor, he generates a commentary that regardless of a future involving a perfect genetically engineered population, human nature will still come out on top.

Similarly, Movement also uses the theme of loss of identity to explore the mind of someone with autism but however, Hannah is given the option of mediocrity in exchange for her identity, and in Gattaca, Vincent is given the chance of greatness. Movement comments on the stigma around autism, which is conveyed through the specialists’ predictions for Hannah’s future if she does not opt for treatment – a miniscule chance of success and a large chance of being institutionalized for the remainder of her life.

Hannah makes her decision by exploring and uncovering her identity through ballet, then confirming that she does not want to continue with the surgery in this quote: “I do not want new shoes.” Fulda uses the shoes as symbolism for Hannah’s identity, conveying that she does not want to alter herself for her parent’s happiness. Through this, Fulda generates a comment that people living with autism do not view it as a burden that society believes it to be, hence change and normalization should not be imposed upon them. Therfore, unlike Gattaca where the character, Vincent gains success from his loss of identity, Hannah in Movement chooses to remain as herself, but both texts use this theme to convey their message.

Overall, the science fiction texts Gattaca and Movement explore fictional futures to comment on the present in a range of ways. Both texts use technology and loss of identity to imagine future worlds where diseases and disorders are eradicated. Effectively, Gattaca creates a world where genetics trump talent and passion and Movement explores the mind of someone living with autism and suggests that they should not be forced to change.