Does Technology define our very own existence?

"the concept of 'human' is unthinkable without technology but we act as if it is" (Shaw, 2008, P 81)

Shaw states the obvious on today's society; where the key concept of technology it's self, is essential to the carrying out of our daily tasks. We do this even without realising the process of it, showing the subconscious act of tending to rely on the platform that much where we just except it to be there. Therefore this shows that the New Media has allowed the transition of a virtual world.

"The human (...) invents himself in the technical by inventing the tool" (Shaw, 2008, P81). Shaw explains that by finding out and understanding ourselves as humans, is enhanced by the developments of technology which results in the known connotations which represent today's society.  For example gender, race and class will enhance the process of division within the society, and as our knowledge on identity within societies grows and as well technology, we as human beings can't be recognised until we adapt with the developing media platforms built within 'Cyberspace' based on societies connotations. This backs up one of Shaw theory; "we may have made these machines but now, in a very real sense, they make us" (Shaw, 2008, P88), showing that even though the humans bodily functions don't run by mechanics, there still is in a sense a system of technology that benefits the body actions.

"We could say that our idea of the body (as containing a circulatory system) is produced by technology in the simple sense that Harvey had necessarily to use tools to examine the workings of the heart" (Shaw, 2008, P82). Therefore if Harvey wouldn't of used technologies to aid his work, he wouldn't of discovered that the 'bloodstream' was pumped from the heart, and not by our 'veins' which Galen stated, and this would of had great limitations on today's society, as we as human beings wouldn't know how to understand our bodies and how the function.

This shows the process of Cybernetics; which is the relationship between a mechanism and a environment, therefore a technical device and the consumers who use it.

Bibliography:

Shaw, D (2008) Techoculture: The Key Concepts (Oxford Press)