Our Reliance on Technology: A Threat to Our Autonomy?

The Reality of Our Digital Dependence

Imagine this scenario: your smartphone battery dies while you're traveling, and suddenly you're stranded, unable to access your maps, payments, or even your hotel booking. This is not a hypothetical situation, it's our current reality. According to DataReportal's ‘Digital 2024 Global Overview Report,' the average person spends over seven hours a day on digital devices, with 47% of people reporting anxiety when they're without their phones. What used to be a minor inconvenience has now become a crisis, highlighting the extent to which we've incorporated technology into our everyday lives.

Trading Privacy for Convenience

George Orwell predicted a dystopian future of forced submission, but he overlooked a crucial factor: people willingly giving up their freedoms for the sake of convenience. As Shoshana Zuboff highlights in The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, this readiness to exchange privacy for convenience signifies a fundamental shift in the dynamics of power in the digital age. We no longer fear the watchful eye of Big Brother; instead, we willingly invite surveillance into our homes through smart speakers, security cameras, and connected appliances, all in the name of simplifying our lives.

Internalizing Surveillance

We don't just accept this surveillance; we've come to view it as a necessary compromise. We're reassured that our data is safe and that in return, we'll receive better recommendations and smarter services. We've become so used to being observed that we defend our observers, developing a strange attachment to the very systems that limit us.

Questioning the Trade-off of Privacy for Convenience

Consider the example of airport security. In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans accepted increasingly invasive TSA procedures, promising both safety and convenience. Two decades later, we obediently remove our shoes, submit to full-body scans, and surrender water bottles. Yet airport security is neither convenient nor demonstrably more effective. Just as we unquestioningly remove our shoes at airports, we've unquestioningly handed over our most private information for the promise of convenience.

Experiencing the Shift Firsthand

During my two decades in the tech industry, I've observed this shift firsthand. When Google launched Gmail, marketing it as a 'free' service, I warned friends they were actually paying with their data. The old saying turned out to be true: when something's free online, you're not the customer—you're the product. Many dismissed my concerns, calling me paranoid.

The Tyranny of "Smart" Everything

According to Consumer Reports, over 87% of major appliances sold in 2023 included 'smart' features, making it nearly impossible to find basic models. When I needed a dryer recently, I found nearly every model was 'smart,' requiring Wi-Fi connectivity and app integration. I didn’t want a dryer that could tweet; I just wanted one that dried clothes. This isn't just about dryers. Every household item is becoming smart: thermostats, doorknobs, lightbulbs, toasters. We've lost more than just mechanical skills—we've lost the confidence to try fixing things ourselves.

The Loss of Cursive Writing and Cultural Continuity

The decline of cursive writing exemplifies this loss. This isn’t just about penmanship; it’s about cultural continuity and independence. A generation unable to read cursive becomes dependent on digital translations of their own history—whether it's the Declaration of Independence or their grandparents' love letters.

The Fiat Nature of Digital Control

Just as central banks declare the value of currency by decree, tech companies now declare what constitutes convenience in our lives. We don't choose these systems—they're imposed upon us. Want a "dumb" appliance? Sorry, that option has been declared obsolete. Want to repair your own devices? That's been engineered out of existence.

The Push Towards a Cashless Society

The push toward a cashless society represents the ultimate expression of this control. The elimination of physical currency isn't just about efficiency—it's about creating a system where every transaction can be monitored, approved, or denied.

The Death of the Maker Movement

For a brief moment in the late 2000s and early 2010s, it seemed we might resist this tide of engineered dependency. The maker movement emerged, exemplified by spaces like 3rd Ward in Brooklyn—a sprawling 30,000-square-foot collective workspace where artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs could access tools, learn skills, and build community.

Digital Personas and the Loss of Self

Social media hasn't just weaponized our vanity—it's transformed us from humans into curated digital performances. Our phones have become portable propaganda machines for our personal brands.

The AI Trap

Perhaps most alarming is our growing dependence on artificial intelligence. We're outsourcing our thinking to AI, but as we do, we risk eroding our own cognitive autonomy.

Reclaiming Liberty

The solution isn't rejecting all technology—it's understanding the true cost of convenience. Before adopting each new "smart" innovation, ask yourself: What capability am I surrendering? Can I function if this system fails? Is the convenience worth the dependency? What's the real price—in privacy, skills, and autonomy? How does this technology shape my behavior and thinking?

Bottom Line

The most dangerous aspect of this trade-off isn't the loss of privacy—it's the loss of awareness that we're losing anything at all. We're not just losing skills and privacy; we're losing the ability to recognize what independence feels like. The question isn't whether convenience is worth the cost of liberty—it's whether we'll recognize what we've lost before we forget we ever had it. What are your thoughts on this matter? Do you agree or disagree with the points raised in this article? Share this with your friends and have a discussion. Sign up for the Daily Briefing, available every day at 6pm.