Jaron Lanier's You Are Not A Gadget: A Man

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Recommended: Impact of technology in human life

When examining Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media: The Extension of Man, and Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto, it is clear that both men fear the potential consequences surrounding the fast paced evolution of information and communication technologies, particularly the negative effects on humanity. In Lanier's book, he focuses on the distance and lack of face to face communication that occurs due to digital communication, believing that interpersonal relationships become less "real" through online communication. Lanier continues to discuss that this causes negative effects spiritually, behaviorally, and economically; ultimately stating that humanity in the digital age is disconnected and will lose individuality, and the most important aspect of life will revolve around computers and other advanced communication technologies. …show more content…

However, McLuhan tends to be slightly more optimistic than Lanier in this theories, discussing technological advancements made previously by humanity that have improved life at the individual and societal level, while still focusing on the unprecedented nature of new technologies appearing in the twenty first century. However, McLuhan makes it a point in his theories, unlike Lanier, to discuss the positives that will result from these technologies. McLuhan believes that humans are capable of controlling their own destiny, and deciding how to use these new technologies and advancements, but also fears that humans will not be able to make the correct

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