Mischa Peters article "Exit Meat," as well as the novels such as Neuromancer and Synners, introduced some extreme stories of technology being used to modify the human body. These dehumanizing alterations described might be seen as absurdly unrealistic, yet I feel that they symbolize where the human race is headed. Technology is becoming so advanced, and we are becoming more and more dependent on it. Furthermore, many people today are unsatisfied with their bodies. People get plastic surgery to look better, and athletes take legal (and sometimes illegal) supplements to improve their physical performance. The cyberbodies and Posthumans mentioned in Peters's article symbolize what could be the result someday of these factors combining into a new race of technologically enhanced humans.
Personally, I think the idea of these inhuman cyberbodies is sick, and I would like to think of myself as a natural body. Peters defines a natural body as one without "technological modifications or enhancements." Sure my life is enhanced by the technology such as computers, cell phones, and mp3 players that I use on a daily basis, but my body is not enhanced by any such things, and I don't think that anybody's bodies should be enhanced by technology unless it is necessary for medical reasons such as individuals who are paralyzed or on life support. In summary, I think Peters's article is a prediction of where our world is heading, yet it is a prediction that I hope never comes true.
You bring up a great point that I never thought about when discussing the topic of technology's influence on bodies, which are the sort of supplements used in order to gain a physical advantage. Not only professional athletes use these, but also people trying to get healthier, or perhaps more muscular. An example for this could be just consuming whey protein after a workout session, or perhaps steroid controversy in the Major Leagues. Typically when I consider what it is to have your body modified by technology, I consider physical changes that are visible to the naked eye, not something on a molecular level within the body. It's an interesting new perspective.
ReplyDeleteI like how you related the futuristic technological improvements to enhancements we have today and stated that they are sought after for the same reason: people are not content with their own bodies. If we were truly pleased with our bodies, then we would have no desire to invent ways to improve it. I agree with your statement that technology should be used to enhance people only when it is necessary; this type of technology should be researched.
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