Emerging Technologies from a psychological perspective

Authors

  • Jan Willem de Graaf Saxion University of Applied Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/irie498

Keywords:

Cultural Diversity, Digitization, Emerging Technologies, Evolutionary Adaptation, Psychological Perspective

Abstract

Technology has always been a very distinctive feature of human existence. Technology is to humans what nature is to other organisms: our host. Man is nature, but through technology – humans came to stand against nature and its biodiversity; technology is now a global enterprise, advancing on a scale and pace that has never been seen before. The paper argues that this poses a threat not only to the planet and biodiversity but above all to humans themselves. A psychological perspective is chosen, that of the thinking and feeling person, which is contrasted with emerging (smart) technologies. It is concluded that man is not a rational “machine”, but a small-scale storyteller, a provider of meaning, especially emotionally involved with each other. Systems and standardization stand in the way. But as globalized humanity faces the dangers of diminishing (bio- and cultural) diversity, we need the unifying power of technology to restore balance.

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijwd.2021.01.012

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Published

2022-11-30

How to Cite

Willem de Graaf, Jan. 2022. “Emerging Technologies from a Psychological Perspective”. The International Review of Information Ethics 32 (1). Edmonton, Canada. https://doi.org/10.29173/irie498.