The second part of Neil Postman's Book, Technopoly: The Surrender of a Culture to Technology
starts with yet another radical perspective of how technology is ruining the human race. He starts with describing the 'aggressive' hands of the modern doctor, and how they have lost the gifted touch of the once respected profession. As a man born into this chaotic lifestyle over-driven with technology, I am curious as to what the heck Postman was talking about. I've had my fair share of hospital visits, ER walk-ins, and routine check ups; and I have never lost and respect for my doctor or the tools he uses. In fact, as Postman reassures us, patients (like myself) feel more at ease when doctors assure their judgment with x-rays, MRI's, or Cat scans. Postman claims that their procedures make the modern doctor look weak and even goes as far as calling him/her incompetent. Personally, I think to say this is not only ignorant, but also disrespectful. The fact of the matter is, is that today, people are living longer and healthier lives; and what is responsible for this longevity? Technology! What would the world look like if doctors relied on their eyes and ears for diagnoses? Let me provide an example...
I have a close friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The disease first started with minor back pains that grew progressively worse. A doctor's negligence, much like that of Postman's war against the machines, dismissed the pain with prescription. Eventually, X-rays started to identify fractures in the back and weeks later; an MRI discovered the actual cause of the fractures was multiple myeloma. This case proves that doctors cannot be fully responsible for the identification of a certain pain, disease, or medical issue. The fact that we are living longer temps death's gruesome hands to find new ways of killing us, and I feel that technology is one of the weapons that can be used to fight this in inescapable fate.
Postman goes on with his theory to describe that the reason for this catastrophic lifestyle begins with humankind's sovereignty of technology, or rather our easy acceptance and trustworthiness of technology. He states that today, 'medicine is about the disease, not the patient. And what the patient knows is untrustworthy; what the machine knows is reliable.' To an extent, why is so wrong to make this claim? I mean, I'll admit that a machine knows a lot more about my body than I do about myself. How do I know my resting heart rate off the op of my head? How am I supposed to figure out the HDL and LDL cholesterol in my body? I don't know about deficiencies or surpluses in my body, and that is what I have a machine for. On page 102, Postman describes the situation quite well, “medical competence is not defined by the quantity and variety of machinery of machinery brought to bear on disease.”
Another interesting, yet highly debatable topic that Postman brings up is this idea of a symbol drain. He explains the technolopoly story as a “progress without limits, rights without responsibilities, and technology without cost.” (Pg 179) He explains (from chapter eight) that a world revolving around technology destroys morality. Then, Postman complains that there is no longer a symbol for American freedom; stating that eventually symbols will disappear and the disastrous mindset will remain. Furthermore, Postman labels those who resist the American technopoly as people “who refuse to accept efficiency as the preeminent goal of human relations.” (Pg 184) This again, is a cynic’s perspective of how terrible technology is and how detrimental it is to the human race.
What I can’t understand about postman’s argument is why he can’t just accept the way the world has evolved? Why can we be efficient? Why can’t we guiltlessly make things easier for us? These were the questions that were in my head as I was reading Postman’s ENTIRE book.
All for now…
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