Going Tech Free! Can I?

      I read last weekend a wonderful article by Deleuze about “The Societies of Control”.  As I was reading, I kind of felt that technologies can be considered a contributing factor to the emergence of the “Societies of Control”. To that, I do believe that my life is even more controlled because/ through technologies, despite the fact that I am not a social media person, I hate social media. Still, there is no way for me not to use technology in a minute by minute basis, particularly America.​ I never had a smartphone back home, I like the crunching voice of books, so I read books and news paper! 

     I remember the opening of “Dark Star Safari”a book by Paul Theroux in which he said when he decided to go to the East and write honestly about the non-European people, he said he want to discover Middle East and Africa only with a notebook and a pen (Aren’t a notebook and a pen considered technology). Theroux does not want to use any modern technology at all because he does not want to be disturbed by texting, emailing and calling. My point is that, personally, the only way I can stop using technology is when I am in a free technology zone, country (like Theroux).I only had facebook page recently when I started my Ph.D studies!

     Back to Deleuze and his “societies of control,” it is a fact the societies of control punish whoever does not use what they offer, technology. Hence, If my conscious will allow me, I will build a PC in my bathroom just to keep up. In the age of technology, the most important things in life become extras, and the less important things  become essentials. Take family for example, you take your work and schooling home  where your children are await for their time( this is not fair, isn’t it?). The family becomes extra and your work becomes a “must-do” essential.

     The societies of control created means (technologies) to keep us busy even in our “family-quality-time.” I cannot wait to/for the time when I say, “I am done with work”  the moment I step out of my workplace until the next day  when I am back at my work place, or “I am done with studying” until I am back to school the next day (this also mean I am done with technology until a due-time). Is that possible? I think it is? What do you think? Why is it inappropriate to to take family errands to our workplace or school (only through technology)? But it is appropriate to take work and school home, through technology.  The societies of control convinced us that family errands slow our work and studies and make us inefficient in what we do. As result, we  become inefficient in raising our kids and keep our family intact. We become so good at giving out, and so poor at giving in (He used to educate/give others at the expense of his family time).  The societies of control told us that if our family complained about our busi-ness, we should only utter four words (I am doing this for you)!

​     I could not stay away from any sort of technologies for more than 30 minutes, particularly heavy technologies (if you know what I mean ;))!

 

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