“The descendants of astronauts are accustomed to robots doing everything. Even when their children were born, they were also immediately given to robots who fed and taught them; and people, seemingly remaining masters on the ship, became slaves of robots. Slaves of idleness. And the day came when the astronauts forgot who they were, where they were flying, why they lived in the world...
After a thousand years they lost their minds.”
Kir Bulychev. pov "Prisoners of the Asteroid."
Man's attitude to the world of technology is ambiguous. There are still debates and disputes in scientific and pseudo-scientific circles about the role and influence of technology on human life. So these days there are ideas of distrust, hostility towards technology, and even technophobia.
In ancient China, there were old sages who preferred to carry water from the river in a bucket rather than use a technical device - a wheel for drawing water. They motivated their actions by the fact that when using technology, you become dependent on it and lose freedom of action. They say that technology, of course, makes life easier and more comfortable, but the price for this is exorbitant - the human “I” is enslaved.
History has known both the Luddites, the destroyers of machine tools who appeared in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, and modern neo-Luddites who accuse the soulless machinery of our days, turning everyone into a silent part of the social mechanism, entirely dependent on productive and household equipment, which cannot live outside and apart from her.
Thinkers of different directions have repeatedly expressed and continue to express concerns about the possible exit of technology from the control of people. From Aristotle to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, many such concerns have been expressed. Back in the 30s. of our century, Oswald Spengler in his book “Man and Technology” argued that man, the ruler of the world, himself became a slave of machines. Technology involves us all, despite our desire, in its run, subordinating it to its own rhythm. And in this mad race, a person who considers himself a ruler will be driven to death. “Riot of the machines” is a common theme in modern mass cult.
Man, rising above nature with the help of technology, makes himself its slave; having freed himself from one ruler, he passes under the power of another.
Sometime in 1846, the English writer Mary Shelley created the image of Frankenstein, an artificial monster who rebelled against the people who created him. Since then, this neo-mythological image has not left the pages of print, films and television screens. He has become a household name for fueling technophobia in all its forms.
Mechanization and motorization penetrate our lives, sometimes making a person a kind of hybrid of an organism and a technical device. It is worthwhile, for example, to assess the impact of modern transport systems. According to the well-known Guinness Book of Records, in 1991, 46,500,000 cars were produced in the world, including almost 35,000,000 passenger models. This circumstance imposes a specific pattern on the daily course of life and the psychology of people. In many countries, a car is an indicator of the level of prestige, a cherished goal, a symbol of success. The automotive industry and transport system are becoming one of the main consumers of oil resources, non-ferrous and ferrous metals, occupying a dominant position in the industrial system. Their interests largely shape domestic and international politics, financial relations, everyday life and morals. It is expected that by the end of this century, up to 300,000,000 privately owned cars will be plying the planet’s roads, i.e. one for every five people of productive age.
The invasion of technology into all spheres of human existence - from the global to the purely intimate - sometimes gives rise to an unbridled apology for technology, a unique ideology and psychology of technicism. Troubadours of such ideas enthusiastically transfer to humanity and personality the characteristics inherent in machines and mechanisms. An old thesis of the 18th century materialists. “man is a machine” is clothed in fashionable electronic-cybernetic, computerized terminology. The idea is widely promoted that man and humanity, just like mechanisms, have a systemic property, can be measured by technical parameters and presented in technological indicators.
What a one-sided “technical” consideration of human problems leads to can be judged by the relativistic concept of the relationship to the bodily-natural structure of man, which is expressed in the concept of “ki6orgization”. According to this concept, in the future a person will have to give up his body. Modern people will be replaced by “cyborgs” (cybernetic organisms), where the living plus the technical will give some kind of new fusion. Such intoxication with technical prospects, in our opinion, is dangerous and inhumane. Without a body there is no person. Of course, the inclusion of artificial organs (various prostheses, pacemakers, etc.) into the human body is a reasonable and necessary thing. But she cannot cross the line beyond which a particular person ceases to be himself.
The bodily organization of man, which emerged from the crucible of evolution not too perfect, nevertheless cannot be radically supplanted by any technical devices. Modern science fiction is literally filled with reenactments of such situations and showing their destructiveness for people’s lives.
- Oreshnikov I.M. Philosophy of science and technology. Ufa. Publishing house USNTU.1999.
Moscow motorists spend an average of 127 hours a year in traffic jams (1) – more than residents of any other European capital. What kind of means of transportation is there? It’s obvious that in most cases the metro would be faster. For Russia, the numbers will, of course, be different. But so are the roads. In short, a car is not always convenient when it comes to getting from point A to point B. However, this does not stop hundreds of thousands of Russians who simply cannot imagine their lives without a car.
Instrument of freedom
“I constantly go to clients’ homes,” says 38-year-old Vera, a stylist and hairdresser. – And how would I drag myself on the subway with huge cases of cosmetics and tools? I’d rather leave an hour earlier, but it’s simply impossible for me to get there without a car.” 43-year-old marketer Zhanna gives completely different arguments: “I live in a car. Here no one will step on my foot or pester me with idiotic questions. If I have a meeting in the morning, I can rush out of the house without makeup and hungry - I know that in traffic jams I will have time to put on my makeup, drink coffee, have a snack, and even make a dozen important calls.” In essence, Vera and Zhanna mean the same thing - the car gives them a new degree of autonomy. “When talking about a car, we first of all talk about freedom,” says psychologist Elena Stankovskaya. – The machine makes it easier to move in space, choose a direction, and organize time. And women probably feel this more acutely, since not only their physical but also their gender capabilities are expanding.” And although a woman driving has not surprised anyone for a long time, initially it is still an “invasion” into traditionally male territory.
This consideration alone is enough to explain dependence on the car. We can give up many pleasant or useful things, but our own freedom is the last thing. Is this why a motorist experiences the deprivation of a driver’s license as a severe blow, akin to imprisonment or injury?
Personal space
Are there “female” and “male” car addictions? “It's really not much of a difference,” says ethnopsychologist and avid car enthusiast Tobie Nathan. Noting, however, that men value more the technical properties of a car and its appearance, while women often value interior space. “Even after I’ve parked, sometimes I still sit in the car for a few minutes,” confirms 47-year-old Marina, a process engineer. – I have my favorite things there, some talismans are arranged and hung. This is my refuge." And this is a very important recognition. The car serves us as a home outside the home, and therefore, in a sense, as a fortress. Well, or at least a cocoon that can protect you if something goes wrong. “When we have conflicts with my husband, I get into the car and go for a drive without any purpose,” says 33-year-old Larisa, a realtor. “It calms me down.”
Designers are also well aware of our perception of the car as a safe personal space. When developing modern cars, almost more time and attention is paid to the interior than to the exterior.
Key Ideas
- Freedom. The car opens up a whole dimension of new possibilities that would not be available without it.
- Control. A large and strong machine is completely obedient to our power, and this gives rise to a feeling of omnipotence.
- Pleasure. The pleasure we get from riding is sexual in nature.
Continuation of "I"
But there are many other reasons why we depend on our “iron horses”. “I have a Volvo jeep,” says 46-year-old Svetlana, a petite, fragile woman. “He and I “work in contrast”: I’m small, he’s huge.” And 32-year-old Daria chose a small car - a Mini. She also decorated the headlights with flirty stickers in the shape of curled eyelashes. “Well, because this car is definitely a girl! - she says. – And before that I had a RAV4, and it, of course, was a boy. I definitely give the cars names and generally humanize them in every possible way.”
Which, by the way, is absolutely natural. Since a car serves as an extension of one’s own body for many, its model, design and power are our way of presenting ourselves to the world. Imagine a situation: you bought a car and happily tell your friend about it, and a few days later you find out that your friend has purchased exactly the same one. What's your reaction? It turns out that it strongly depends on education and social environment(2). “Blue collar workers,” representatives of the so-called “working class,” for the most part perceived this news positively. And they even regarded the purchase of a friend as confirmation of the correctness of their own choice and strengthening of connections with other people. But representatives of the “middle class,” who are inclined to demonstrate their taste and status, more often felt a threat to their identity and unique preferences in similar choices.
Dream of control
Toby Nathan believes that from the point of view of our psychology, the appearance of a car is more important than its practical purpose: “Most designers focus on the function - to drive. But they forget about the main thing in the car - it must contain a piece of a dream come true.” Does this mean that we will give up cars if automakers conspire to produce only ugly boxes on wheels? Hardly, admits Toby Nathan. After all, driving is much more than turning the steering wheel and shifting the lever. This is an act of absolute control, and in the completeness of our power over the machine we become a little like gods. It’s not for nothing that the very first steam car was called “Obedient,” recalls Toby Nathan. Elena Stankovskaya agrees with this, noting that for women this aspect perhaps plays an even greater role than for men: “I can control a ton of metal, from the movement of my hands, although not strong, this ton comes into motion and the whole submits to my will! This feeling of omnipotence is, of course, another reason for our love dependence on soulless mechanisms.
And a little sex
As for the true cause of car addiction, Oxford University psychologists Peter Marsh and Peter Collett (3) may have come closest to it. “The pleasure of driving a car is purely sexual in nature,” they say. – The human body reacts to acceleration in space with nerve impulses and muscle contractions. The neck area is especially sensitive to acceleration. In general, these nervous and muscular reactions bring the body into a state of physical arousal.”
The central nervous system then “translates” this bodily reaction into the language of emotions. For some people, the dominant emotion may be, for example, fear. But many others experience unconditional and distinct pleasure. “Moreover, these drivers also recognize the presence of fear and maximum composure and concentration,” emphasize Marsh and Collett. “However, they are able to control their emotions, largely because they control the acceleration itself. The result can be a powerful emotional outburst, which in some cases is quite comparable to an orgasm.”
And after this, are you still surprised that we are in no hurry to switch to the subway or bicycles?
How do they tempt us? Six Relationship Models
Jeeps are indispensable in off-road conditions, small city cars are more convenient for parking and scurrying around in traffic jams, and sports cars are needed to set speed records on race tracks. But that’s not why we buy them. Their erotic appeal lies in the fact that they allow us to fulfill a fantasy, fulfill a childhood dream or embody an image that has come to us from the depths of history. Ethnopsychologist Toby Nathan offers his classification of cars and their owners.
1. Retro car. The reincarnation of the sacred Egyptian chariot, drawn by horses harnessed to it and driven by an all-powerful charioteer seated behind.
The car has become a part of our daily lives. Scientists are increasingly wondering what part a car plays in the life of a person in the 21st century, and how this relationship affects the psyche of an individual. Let's ask a psychologist about this effect.
How quickly does a novice car enthusiast get used to a car?
Many experts in the field of psychology believe that the period of adaptation takes about a year. During this time, the necessary neurophysiological connections necessary for driving are built in the human brain; they appear and are consolidated only at the conditioned reflex level, which is not necessary, for example, for swimming or learning a foreign language.
Sometimes difficulties arise in learning to drive. Why? After all, modern cars practically “drive themselves.”
All actions of the driver behind the wheel are proactive. A beginner has too much developed pedestrian thinking, so he doesn’t have enough reaction, he simply doesn’t have time. Beginners cannot make decisions on the move and quickly, which is their main problem.
Therefore, many novice drivers train at night, motivated by fewer cars and less consequences for their own mistakes...
You shouldn't do this. Driving at night is not consistent with a person's natural biorhythms, which begin to produce inhibited reactions. Attention drops, the awareness of the small number of cars on the streets provokes many drivers to drive and speed. And visibility is already bad. The majority of accidents occur at night and the damage in this case is more serious.
To what extent does the idea of teaching beginners an automatic transmission have any validity, so that the student, during the learning process, focuses on the behavior of the car, without being distracted by changing gears?
Only if the student plans to drive only an automatic car. A car with “mechanics” gives you discipline and gives you an understanding of the car. On the “stick” it is more difficult to exceed the speed, since you need to switch the handle to the desired position. In the “city” mode, a car with an automatic transmission causes less panic in the student, but when driving on the highway, a beginner can more easily control a manual transmission, since it more clearly shows the essence of the movement processes. A car with a manual transmission is useful for those drivers who are trying to understand the logic of their actions behind the wheel and develop a set of useful actions. Often these are older drivers. In general, the skill of driving a “mechanics” is more conducive to developing the skill of safe driving.
Sometimes they say that someone is simply not meant to drive. How true is this statement?
Yes, that's generally true. First of all, this concerns purely physical contraindications. If you have visual impairments greater than certain indicators, the medical commission will not allow you to pass. People who are too excitable are also not recommended to drive. It is believed that a person reacts to stress in three ways: he can run away, attack or freeze. Oddly enough, the first two reactions are healthier and more suitable for driving. An inhibition reaction leading to erratic movements is a typical reaction of emotionally weak and nervous people. They don’t know how to handle themselves in a situation that requires an immediate reaction, which is where the jokes about blondes throwing their steering wheels come from. In fact, hair color does not matter, but the inability to make quick decisions is a big problem, since it poses a danger to both the beginner and those around him.
Drivers who often go on long trips have to maintain high speeds for a long time on the road. How does the speed limit affect their psyche?
There is evidence of the onset of an altered state of consciousness in drivers driving at speeds greater than 100 km/h. This condition occurs when approximately 100g of cognac is ingested. The explanation for this lies in the fact that an ordinary person can reach a maximum speed of about 40 km/h, and only after long training. Everything that goes beyond these limits leads a person to a state of euphoria. It seems to him that he is omnipotent, a powerful car obeys him, and everything will be fine, since he will have time to react to anything. But that's not true. Any speed above 40-42 km/h causes a change in perception. For a car driver this condition is especially fraught, so it is better not to exceed the speed of 60-70 km/h.
It’s rare to meet a person who hasn’t… faced this problem. I am now talking about addiction in the broadest sense. About any human addiction. Dependence on other people. Drug addiction. Addiction to cigarettes and alcohol. Addiction in general. How does it appear? Where does it come from in people? And is it possible to fight it?
Why do we become dependent on something or someone? We start smoking and we become addicted to cigarettes. We start drinking and become . Most people on our planet are addicted to tasty and varied food.
A very large number of people are dependent on their wives. But an even greater number depend on their husbands. A slightly smaller number of people, although not insignificant, depend on their children. Many people depend on their friends, on their girlfriends. Some depend on holidays, holiday tables and parties. Others depend on beautiful and fashionable clothes. Most men are dependent on cars.
Fear is the first consequence of addiction . Any addiction. I wonder if this addiction is a consequence of fear? or is fear a consequence of addiction? I think that addiction is primary. Although…
From the moment we are born, we are dependent. The first person we depend on is our parents. Our imperfections frighten us. And the fear that arises in us makes us become dependent. So far only from my parents. But that's it for now. In the future, everything will change. And it is possible that a person will break free from dependence on his parents and become dependent on something else.
The debate about the primacy of fear and addiction is similar to the debate about the primacy of being and consciousness.
Let's not go deeper into these disputes. For us, the primacy of one over the other does not matter at all. Another thing is that one is inextricably linked with the other. All addictions, one way or another, are related to fears. They help cope with human fears. And as long as a person is afraid, he will definitely depend on something or someone.
The greater the fear, the stronger what or who a person depends on. This is important to understand. This is especially important to understand for psychologists who deal with the problems of a person’s addiction to something (alcohol, drugs, etc.).
If only you knew how many people get married or marry not out of love, but solely out of fear. Dependence on a person is the strongest addiction . That is why many do not get divorced, even when living together does not bring any joy, any happiness, but on the contrary.
What to do? How to deal with addiction? You need to overcome your fears. There is no other way out. How to do this?
Firstly, you will have to get rid of the addiction. It is possible that someone will have to get a divorce if the marriage is of this nature. Or break up with a friend. Or quit smoking.
And under no circumstances should you get rid of your addiction with anyone’s help (person or organization). This way you will get rid of your addiction, but you will become dependent on the one who helped you get rid of addiction. I assure you that you capable get rid of your addiction without resorting to anyone's help. Only by yourself, only by your own strength, by your own efforts, can you get rid of addiction.
The hard part comes next. Having gotten rid of one addiction, you should never acquire a new, different addiction. Trading one wife for another, or one husband for another, or a husband for cigarettes and alcohol, or alcohol for drugs, or friends for work, and so on. All this is not a solution to the problem.
You are leaving addiction, but understand that you have not yet overcome your fear. The fear remains.
Overcoming your fear is serious work. This is difficult, hard work. This job does not require any special abilities from you. BUT, the power of your Spirit is required.
Re-read these articles. Think about it. A weak Spirit will not allow you to fully realize yourself. No one insists that you must be born with a strong Spirit. BUT you are obliged to educate your Spirit. A strong spirit is NOT the Spirit that has no fear, BUT the one that overcomes fear regardless of anything or anyone.
The scientific and technological revolution brought to the fore the problem of using a new type of technology. Similar technology - electronic computers (computers), automated control systems (ACS) - has now penetrated into a wide variety of areas of the national economy and science. Success in the development of these important areas began to directly depend on the effect of its practical application. It should be noted that the development of technology went not only along the path of its complexity, but also in the direction of increasing its quality and reliability of operation.
However, here designers and other specialists involved in the practical use of very complex equipment unexpectedly encountered a phenomenon where technically perfect devices, when used in production, did not produce the expected effect. And the immediate reason for this was the large number of mistakes made by the people operating the equipment. All the advantages that were achieved thanks to the technical improvement of machines were almost often negated by inaccurate, untimely human actions.
The first reaction to this discrepancy was an attempt to eliminate human errors by further automating technology and replacing humans in it. During this period, the formation of cybernetics took place, and faith in the unlimited possibilities of this new field of science gave rise to illusions that technology, brought to the appropriate level of perfection, would be able to solve any problems that had previously been solved by humans. However, this approach to solving the problem that arose soon had to be abandoned, because practice has shown that technology is not capable of replacing all human functions. Even where it is possible to completely replace a person with an automatic machine, this is not always advisable. Another, more realistic way to solve this fundamental problem was to analyze the reasons for such a large number of erroneous human actions when controlling new technology and search for ways to reduce it. And the first question that naturally arose was: why didn’t this problem arise earlier? Studying it made it possible to reveal an extremely important feature of the new technology: this technology made it possible to solve fundamentally new problems, but at the same time created fundamentally new working conditions for the person interacting with it. The complex, fast processes inherent in new technology with a large number of changing parameters required a person to perceive and process current information at such a speed that in some cases exceeded his throughput. In the process of managing such systems, a person sometimes simply physically could not cope with all the tasks that arose before him. If we also take into account that such problems had to be solved in unusual living conditions (for example, on an airplane under conditions of overload, lack of oxygen, etc.), and the high cost of an error, then it will become obvious how significantly the human living conditions have changed in the new control systems.
Thus, with the advent of new, modern technical systems, a dialectical leap was revealed, which led to the emergence of qualitatively new working conditions - conditions under which a person could no longer, even with the mobilization of all his compensatory capabilities, successfully solve the tasks assigned to him. An important conclusion followed from this: the reason for the low efficiency of the new technology was not the person who, with his mistakes, prevented its successful use, but the technology itself, which was created without taking into account the psychophysiological capabilities of the person operating it and actually provoked his mistakes. Thus, the need arose for a special study of the psychophysiological characteristics of human activity and new complex technical systems, studying its capabilities for solving problems arising in it in order to take these data into account when designing systems and training operators to manage them. Thus, on the verge of psychological science and technology, a whole complex of special theoretical and applied problems arose, without the resolution of which it became impossible to create new combined “man-machine” systems capable of effectively solving the tasks assigned to them. To solve this range of problems, a new scientific direction in psychological science was formed, called engineering psychology. When using a computer, a person performs a wide variety of functions, from equipment maintenance to making responsible decisions at the highest levels of management. This gives rise to a complex of very complex problems in the engineering and psychological analysis of automated control systems, such as the organization of interaction between humans and computers, where the issue of distribution of functions, rational coupling of computers and human creative activity remains of particular relevance. The task associated with finding a common language for describing human-computer dialogue systems and synchronizing their interaction is also relevant.
However, nowadays, due to the rapid development of computerization, the problem of the consequences of computerization is of particular interest. There are functional, ontogenetic and historical aspects of computerization. Functional consequences are understood as the transformation of template and creative components that occur in solving problems using computer means in comparison with traditional forms. The general functional consequences of computerization are the reduction of some, the preservation and modification of others, and the emergence of new tasks. The functional consequences of computerization can be both conscious and unconscious. For example, when computing operations are reduced and transferred to a computer, a person retains traditional skills, knowledge, and relationships, which enter into new connections with the performance of computer operations and influence the formation of psychological readiness or a psychological barrier to interact with a computer. As the analysis showed, these are “Eurologizations”, i.e. the acquisition of a creative nature by computerized activities compared to traditional ones, the “parity” effect, i.e. approximately equal ratio of creative and template components in both computerized and traditional activities; the effect of “de-Eurologization”, i.e. the predominance of template components compared to traditional ones; “uncertain” effect, manifested in a blurred, unconscious, unstable ratio of template and creative components in computerized activities compared to traditional ones.
The functional consequences of computerization can also be divided into real (directly included in the solution of a computerized problem) and potential (manifesting as a trend). For example, novice users consider working with a computer as interesting and novel compared to traditional activities. At the same time, experienced users know that repeated interactions with the computer will lead to monotony and routine activity. Therefore, they introduce jokes into computer programs to prevent these adverse events. However, as they note, even jokes get boring over time.
The ratio of positive and negative functional consequences in various types of computerized systems depends on specific conditions: the types of professional tasks being solved, the training of users, the quality of the computer and the organization of work in the display classroom. In ontogenetic terms, personal development is considered, which undergoes changes under the influence of computerization. Positive personal transformations include: strengthening a person’s intelligence by involving him in solving more complex problems; the development of logical, predictive and operational thinking, due to the fact that, having previously prepared a problem for a computer, the user first logically thinks through it, composes its algorithm and thereby, to a certain extent, predicts the process of solving it. Positive results include the development in users of adequate specialization of cognitive processes, such as perception, thinking, and the formation of specialized business motivation for using a computer to solve professional problems. Successful use of computers and obtaining more productive results with their help increases a person’s self-esteem and confidence in his ability to solve professional problems. A positive attitude towards various aspects of working with a computer results in user satisfaction.
Negative personal transformations include: a decrease in a person’s intellectual abilities when solving problems using a computer is simplified, and solution processes are reduced to formal logical components. The excessive specialization of cognitive processes, as well as motivation, which occurs as a result of extensive and constant work with a computer, reduces their flexibility and thereby the ability to transfer them to solve a wider range of problems that require a different specialization. In this regard, emerging personality traits, initially positive, for example, such as precision and accuracy, can, as the duration of computerized activity increases and its complexity increase, develop into such negative traits as pedantry and excessive punctuality. Excessive mental involvement in working with a computer when solving particularly complex problems with it in dynamically changing conditions can exacerbate neurotic personality traits, which, if it is severely unbalanced, can lead a person to a painful state. By transferring intellectual functions to a computer and composing a program for it, a person plays a leading role at the stage of preparing the operation of the computer as a tool. At the next stage, during the functional performance of computerized activity, a person in relation to the computer as a tool can play a subordinate or leading role, or dynamically change these roles in the process of long-term work with it. Thus, it is now obvious that computerization can lead not only to positive, progressive changes in a person’s life, but also provoke negative changes, for example, such as a decrease in a person’s intellectual activity, a reduction in creative components in his activity and an increase in stereotypes.
communication person machine
