The Digital mind/body: Investigate the Cultural Construction of Robot in Contemporary Western Culture

The magnitude of technological involvement in contemporary lifestyle has transformed our cultural and social surroundings, so much so that a human brain can be considered as a digital mind, like a robot for example.

 

Electronic gadgets such as cell phones, iPods, and computers have become an integral part of our daily life. Several surveys state that even a five year old child spends an average of six hours in front of an electronic screen, making them accustomed to the presence of digital media around them. Latest studies indicate that in the United States people almost doubled their online time between 2005 and 2009, and in the same period the online time of European people grew by a third and the unemployed individuals in the UK spent 45% of their leisure hours engaged in some sort of media and communication technology. (Richard Watson, 2010)

The advancement of communication technology and Cyberspace has left most of the Western World communicating through text messages and emails instead of traditional face to face conversations. This all round technological presence has affected the thought process and attitudes of mankind in such a way that they seemed to be programmed to think as robots, with a digital mind, For example, a person looking for information no longer approaches another human being next door, instead he/she uses Google for information.

Scientists who study the psychology of the brain believe that this type of habit and behaviours is most likely to influence the way people act and think. Famous Neuroscientist, Michael Merzenich suggests that a human brain is ‘plastic’ and that it reacts to any new stimulus. Simply put, this means that the human brain is likely to adapt to any new habit, hence turning into a digital mind/body when introduced to digital world long enough. This has been further explained by Professor Susan Greenfield, who states that digital involvement of people produces a blast of dopamine in prefrontal cortex and this affects the brain. Longer periods of involvement produces a blast so severe that it becomes unlikely to develop an original mind as the blast often compromises the reasoning ability of the brain. (Richard Watson, 2010: 7)

Hence, to summarise, the advancing technology and booming cyberspace are continually transforming the human-esque behaviours within the society and is creating a digital culture, converting mankind into breathing and walking robots.