The technology is enslaving us

Technology on the whole is a good thing, but unfortunately it is only used to enslave us! And I am not talking about all the tracking and surveillance devices . Why is it that nowadays we all "need" a plasma HDTV, fancy clothes or even cars?
Technology and inventions are meant to make our lives easier, instead we must work 40 hours a week if we would like to get them and new things are coming out faster than we can enjoy what we have! Not to mention that new and better items will cost more while the buying power is almost stagnant.

I hear the people thinking: "no one forces you to spend on such things" but think about it! Our children grow up in a world filled with negative publicity, emphasis on materialistic values, jewellery, flashy cars and expensive lifestyles. They lose track of what really matter and end up working and spending on useless junk or committing crimes to get it. And since parents are working all day, kids lack the parental presence and often become out of control causing more problems for society. The material has taken our love away from us.
Then those who are thinking : "what the fuss, working 40 hours a week isn't such a big deal". But take a look back at your life, sum up all the hours spent in your life working and sleeping. Are you really enjoying your life on Earth? All this time wasted when it could be such a joyful experience with the one you love, learning new things.
Our ancestors and tribes in the jungles do not spend half the time we do hunting and gathering, and they live happily in perfect harmony. There are things we can learn from them!

All the latests gadgets also tend to keep us separated from others human beings. Cellphones, computers, robots, video games are killing what's his left of our social values.

And on top of this slavery, the governments are already tracking monitoring everyone of us and it's not getting better.


~Peace

What I would like to know is with all the progress that technology has offered us, how is it that we're all having to work our buns off just to keep the necessities of life?


In 1950 a man could work as a sales clerk in a local store and make enough to support himself, his wife, and his three kids.


Today the same man can only make ends meet by driving a 10 year old used car, living in an apartment with two roommates, and eating spaghetti half the time.


Where's all this progress we have made? We have giant machines which can do the work of 10,000 farmers, we have energy coming into homes equivalent to the work that 20 people could do, we have increased efficiency in production methods and more and more things being produced every day.


So how the heck is it that people are 1 payment away from losing almost everything they have?


Where is all the savings? Where is all the equity? Where are all the dividends we should be reaping from all this investment in technology, automation, and efficiency?

[edit on 2-12-2007 by dionysius9]

Dyonisus, it is by design.

If all our technology could have made our life so easier that nobody needed to work.
Who would join the military?
Everybody would have plenty of time to criticize the corrupt govts, officials and corporations.
People would have more time and be more educated, and we all know education is the enemy of autoritharian govts, police states and dictators.

The few elite in charge of shaping our lives make sure that we suffer, struggle and are desperate to accept anything or fight their wars.

reply to post by TheOracle


very true, the few will always try to exploit the many and has succeded in the last two or three decades.

The only way to changes things, is by changing ourselfes and teaching our children and everyone who will listen.

Originally posted by TheOracle
Technology on the whole is a good thing, but unfortunately it is only used to enslave us! And I am not talking about all the tracking and surveillance devices . Why is it that nowadays we all "need" a plasma HDTV, fancy clothes or even cars?
Technology and inventions are meant to make our lives easier, instead we must work 40 hours a week if we would like to get them and new things are coming out faster than we can enjoy what we have! Not to mention that new and better items will cost more while the buying power is almost stagnant.

I hear the people thinking: "no one forces you to spend on such things" but think about it! Our children grow up in a world filled with negative publicity, emphasis on materialistic values, jewellery, flashy cars and expensive lifestyles. They lose track of what really matter and end up working and spending on useless junk or committing crimes to get it. And since parents are working all day, kids lack the parental presence and often become out of control causing more problems for society. The material has taken our love away from us.
Then those who are thinking : "what the fuss, working 40 hours a week isn't such a big deal". But take a look back at your life, sum up all the hours spent in your life working and sleeping. Are you really enjoying your life on Earth? All this time wasted when it could be such a joyful experience with the one you love, learning new things.
Our ancestors and tribes in the jungles do not spend half the time we do hunting and gathering, and they live happily in perfect harmony. There are things we can learn from them!

All the latests gadgets also tend to keep us separated from others human beings. Cellphones, computers, robots, video games are killing what's his left of our social values.

And on top of this slavery, the governments are already tracking monitoring everyone of us and it's not getting better.


~Peace

I agree with this rant.

(Well, except for the living in harmony thing. There is no evidence for that whatsoever...quite the opposite, in fact.)

I agree with OP's thread, and was going to post something similar, but I'll put it here.

People are lazy. Technology has caused a generation of people laden with diabetes, obesity and other afflictions because they do not have to enjoy tasks that even i had to do when I was a wee one. (FYI, I'm not very far removed from this generation) Instead of pushing a lawnmower, you can buy a self propelled one or a riding one. Instead of chopping wood to burn, just buy it at the grocery store. The examples could be endless of what could be done.

This of course expands to other forms of life. This Thanksgiving, I celebrated by making a pumpkin pie from scratch. It's really not all that hard, anyone could do it (i did use preground spices; I admit). My in-laws were impresse by the knowledge that I had to make a homemade pie. They always just buy from Wal-Mart. They have been dumbed down. My wife always though instant mashed potatoes were good, until I taught her how to make them from scratch.

But think about it... why is ever 9 year old wielding a cell phone? They have no use for one but text message shorthand dumbs them down. People that report to the clinic I work in can barely fill out registration paper work because they don't know how to write. When was the last time you hand- wrote a heartfelt letter? I haven't in a long time, rather it's easier to send an quick email.

So here's to shunning technology. When I graduate again from school and start earning money I look forward to a time when I can buy a house on a decent amount of land, so I can plant a large garden and have many menial tasks that can be done by hand- because its good for the mind... to not have technology do everything for us.

Cheers.

Originally posted by TheOracle
Technology on the whole is a good thing, but unfortunately it is only used to enslave us! And I am not talking about all the tracking and surveillance devices . Why is it that nowadays we all "need" a plasma HDTV, fancy clothes or even cars?

This seems less to do with technology enslaving the population and more to do with consumerism gone rampant. There is no "need" for all those things you mentioned (except maybe the car, especially if the mass-transit system is crap) -- it's all more of a want and you can thank rampant, ethically unrestrained capitalism combined with marketing for that.

Originally posted by TheOracle
Technology and inventions are meant to make our lives easier, instead we must work 40 hours a week if we would like to get them and new things are coming out faster than we can enjoy what we have! Not to mention that new and better items will cost more while the buying power is almost stagnant.

Again, same as above. As for things costing more while buying power remains the same -- you can thank your government for doing poorly in improving the purchasing power of the little people.

Originally posted by TheOracle
Our children grow up in a world filled with negative publicity, emphasis on materialistic values, jewellery, flashy cars and expensive lifestyles. They lose track of what really matter and end up working and spending on useless junk or committing crimes to get it. [...]

If you're a parent, then it is your job and responsibility to teach them positive values, not the television. If you can't do that, then perhaps you should think twice before having children. Teach them discipline and value for money, don't spoil them and give in to their "wants" if it's not deserved.

Originally posted by TheOracle
Our ancestors and tribes in the jungles do not spend half the time we do hunting and gathering, and they live happily in perfect harmony. There are things we can learn from them!

They also know how to "discipline" a child that is being a real twerp. Their lives are lived in "harmony" because every member of their society knows their place, and what will "happen" should they step out of line.

Originally posted by TheOracle
Cellphones, computers, robots, video games are killing what's his left of our social values.

Only if there was no moral values that were instilled from a young age in the first place. The separation happens regardless of the technology involved if the values learnt are those of an individualistic and materialistic nature.

Originally posted by slidebyem
People are lazy.

No kidding. But hardly a good reason to turn into a neo-luddite.

Don't blame technology though, work on improving your own society's values. The Japanese are hard-working, even though they're awash in technology. Why? Values.

It's all by design. designed for what sole purpose? i don't exactly know.
Programming manual-->www.lawfulpath.com...

I totally agree with you

I dunno if it's a plot. Most of the history of technology has been aimed either towards making life easier, making it so that we don't have to deal with the person next to us, or making devices that are supposed to make life easier but really only complicate it.
Really, it just seems like these are continuing as ever. That, plus a capitalist market and the natural desire of a person to have better than their peers, means we are just running along the same lines we always have.

Not technology but desire enslaves you

If you feel like the OP, you are a caged rat forever turning the exercise-wheel of desire. Do not blame others or 'the system' for your position, because they are not at fault. It is your own inappropriate desires that enslave you.

Learn to desire that which is appropriate to you in your situation and condition of life and spurn that which is not. Then you will be free.

It is a very simple lesson, but very few ever seem to learn it.

I think it is because they have mistaken self-esteem for self-respect.

Originally posted by Astyanax
Not technology but desire enslaves you

If you feel like the OP, you are a caged rat forever turning the exercise-wheel of desire. Do not blame others or 'the system' for your position, because they are not at fault. It is your own inappropriate desires that enslave you.

Learn to desire that which is appropriate to you in your situation and condition of life and spurn that which is not. Then you will be free.

It is a very simple lesson, but very few ever seem to learn it.

I think it is because they have mistaken self-esteem for self-respect.

Me? Not free? You assume wrong, I wasn't complaining about my own desires.
I am a deeply spiritual person and you wouldn't understand my deepest desires. I also live in the Ukraine, self sufficient, far away from the western lifestyle I used to have and perfectly happy with very little (heck I don't even have a car).
It's this new found happiness and mental peace that pushed me to write this.

Of course money is needed and should be "desired" but not being slaves to a materialistic society.

Reply to the The Oracle

'Of course money is needed and should be "desired" but not being slaves to a materialistic society'.

I agree to that statement.

Anything can serve to enslave or enlighten. A plasma TV can enslave me if I choose to crave it above more essential desires such as love. It can enslave me if I spend all day in front of it.

But the device itself is nothing, absolutely nothing without my choices. Its just a piece of matter, an inanimate object. If it has any power over me then only the power I give it.

If there is any enslaving going on its an enslaving from self to self.

Every individual will arrive at peace in a different way. For some, getting rid of the plasma TV means peace. For others, getting it means Peace. For others selling it for double the price it was bought for means peace