What if Twitter Came First?

Following our faculty seminar on video games and their use as models for navigating the world of computers, I keep finding myself thinking “what if”. What if we lived in a topsy-turvy world where all the latest technology had actually preceded earlier forms of human communication and interaction. In preparation for last week’s seminar I ran across a student’s blog that mentioned that very thought, asking “would we still be as negative about today’s technology if trends were reversed”? That’s a great question. And one that I continue to ponder. Consider our current generation video games. Then think “pong” (man, I used to spend hours playing pong with my sister!). Next step back to pinball, and even go further to solitaire – the one with actual cards that had to be meticulously set up prior to each round; or any other card game for that matter. Each of the technological ‘advances’ could arguably be addictive, taking one away from healthy human community interactions, etc. In other words, each time “new” comes along, we find reasons to mistrust its effects on society, and envision all the evils that it may introduce; regardless of what constitutes ‘moving forward’.
Next let’s envision classroom instruction from our topsy-turvy perspective. If we suddenly replaced all A/V equipment on campus with old fashioned chalk boards, how many articles would soon find their way to publication hailing a leap forward to a new bare-bones, simplistic way of teaching? More likely, we’d discuss all the challenges the new technology would present from our current method. How about replacing all computers with books? What a wonderful invention, no! Or, what an archaic method of educating our students (no more videos, no youtube, no fast searching by relevant terms)? Instead, drive to your nearest library, possibly have to put in an interlibrary loan and wait one to seven weeks for delivery. Return to pick up the book. Turn page by page, having to ‘fill in’ visual content from simple text. Spend long hours reading lengthy descriptions of scenes that could be displayed instantly in a video – hours that could be spent interacting with other humans. You get the picture. We fret over replacing our trusty books with high-flutin’ computers, but would we feel any better about the reverse? I just don’t think so.
Why? I think it’s because we fear change. Each new technology represents a new way of doing things, with unknown pitfalls, learning curves, and unforeseen difficulties. It’s human nature to become anxious about the unknown. Part of what makes us “human” separate from other species is our ability to manipulate nature to better suit us rather than relying on nature. Yet, that very quality sets us up for rapidly changing environments (not such a good thing from an evolutionary perspective) – one that requires rapid adaptation (if not at a purely evolutionary level at least on an intellectual and emotional level). That’s been our dilemma from the start, reaching all the way back to our earliest ancestors 200K years ago. But what’s the alternative? Take a look at our close relatives Homo neanderthalensis. Even though Neanderthals survived for a much longer time than Homo sapiens has thus far been on this planet, studies of their technology show they were not so good at adapting. Their tools and abilities remained virtually unchanged from their earliest known existence 600K years ago right up until their extinction 20-30K years ago. In fact, it’s been hypothesized that’s exactly why they went extinct. During a time of rapid climate fluctuations, Homo sapiens shows a remarkable resilience to that change through changing technology while Homo neanderthalensis slowly disappears along with his old, antiquated ways of coping. Fear of change may be real, but the alternative isn’t necessarily a better option either!
Fast forward to today, and we live in a time of unprecedented technological advance that has never before existed on Earth. We are “hard wired” to deal with geological-scale changes (100’s to 100K’s of year time scales) and yet, we are dealing with change not on a decadal, not even a yearly, but almost a daily scale. Considering where we started, what we’re adapted to, and what we are now experiencing it’s no wonder we sometimes wish (despite our desires for newer, easier ways of living) that change would slow. Allow us a little more time to adapt to current technology before it goes obsolete. Muddle through the ‘known’ before being hit head-on with increasingly common ‘unknowns’. It’s enough to make me want to end this post, log off and go read a good book or play a game of solitaire or two.