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A review by davemmett
You Are Not a Gadget by Jaron Lanier
4.0
Even though I disagree with many of the conclusions of this book, I think its a very worthwhile read for anyone interested in thinking about how technology has (and will) shaped our world.
His argument is basically that current technological trends de-humanize people by encouraging us to behave in ways that conform to the systems we create.
I think his most interesting comments came from the parts about technology's influence on culture. He suggests that the reason why our society is so retro/vintage obsessed right now is that technology has weakened our ability to generate new culturally significant works; all we have left to do is rehash old ideas. I think there's a grain of truth to that, but I think it only applies if you take a very narrow view of culture (he mainly discusses music).
His argument is basically that current technological trends de-humanize people by encouraging us to behave in ways that conform to the systems we create.
I think his most interesting comments came from the parts about technology's influence on culture. He suggests that the reason why our society is so retro/vintage obsessed right now is that technology has weakened our ability to generate new culturally significant works; all we have left to do is rehash old ideas. I think there's a grain of truth to that, but I think it only applies if you take a very narrow view of culture (he mainly discusses music).