My View on Martin Heidegger's "Question Concerning Technology"

I stand with Martin Heidegger's claim that we are all swallowed or shackled by technology. Since the dawn of humanity, when we evolve —technology also evolves with us. Technological advancements through generations have brought about our inquisition on what truly is meaningful in our lives. Think of the real world like a never-ending series of Netflix's Black Mirror; the dangers brought by technological advancements will forever exist. Nevertheless, the recipe for chaos will not be complete without the inevitable errors of human actions and thoughts. But why make errors and mistakes, when these technologies should have had the purpose of making life easier? That is where we all have fell short with our understanding.

Personally, I have struggled to learn from a good old friend called "discipline". I could also say that love, prayer, stability, conversatio, obedience, humility, stewardship, hospitality, and a sense of community can help me pull my life together; but with technology and how I should handle my privileges with regards to it —discipline goes a long way. It is understandable that I must go to school during the pandemic with the help of my technological devices, but these devices have (for many years) helped me even though they're not needed. It intrigues me how technology doesn't "just evolve" through generations, but it also gives us a sense of identity. Humanity is attached to it, and it has become part of our lives. I remember as a child that a fat and box-y television set was once the epitome of technology back then. My late grandparents would scold me for watching the television too close ("stay five feet away!" they said, or I might damage my eyesight). Well, almost two decades later I've owned a couple of smartphones, PlayStations, a laptop, and I've lost my 20/20 vision all thanks to technology. I must admit, I didn't really follow the "stay five feet away" rule and many other rules that could have helped me from the dangers of constantly using the latest technologies. No matter how grave the dangers might be, I always end up wanting to own smartphones and other latest devices. If it's not because it's trendy (which, mostly is the case), it might be because it's the only way to live and coexist with others.

The endpoint here is that we are all latched to the idea of ease and convenience, but we just don't know where to stop with technology. As long as humanity is evolving, technology will continue to exist with us. Robots and A.I. have already entered the playing field, but we still could not even fathom to do the simplest acts of doing our laundry or sleeping early over using our smartphones to scroll our Facebook feed or TikTok FYP (for you page). The wonderful world Louis Armstrong famously sang can never exist again if we all are incessantly stuck in the fantasy that we have created for ourselves. But what would humanity be without the help of technology? I'm still grateful that vacuum cleaners, air conditioners, windmills, and all the random innovations did exist for the betterment of all —we even sent humans to the moon because of technology. We should realize how powerful technology is (and could be), and as I would like to quote Uncle Ben, "with great power, comes great responsibility."

Wow! You've reached the end of this essay. Please enjoy this cat wearing a facemask! 

Viacheslav Rubel/Shutterstock

Cats rule the internet!

Fun facts: 

Sarah Begley of Time Magazine wrote: "...felines are a global obsession, especially online, where figures like Grumpy Cat have more followers (and earning potential) than many human celebrities." - October 17, 2016 issue of TIME, article by Sarah Begley.

Abigail Tucker of the NY Times wrote: "Nobody intended for the internet to be swarmed with cats. (Asked what surprised him most about online life, the digital pioneer Tim Berners-Lee replied, “Kittens.”)" - The New York Times Sunday Review, Opinion. October 15, 2016.