The Criticism of Technology: How It Manipulates People's Lives

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The Criticism of Technology
Through his work, "Network without a cause", Lovink criticizes the popular online social networks by providing case studies on search engines, blogging, media activism, digital radio, and online video. The concept of people being caught in the overhyped life of social media liking, commenting, updating places we are, what we ate, who we are with, the thoughts on our minds is indeed consuming, I agree, especially the pressure that comes with keeping up with our friend's fake life on social media. A very relatable scenario. Lovink suggests that social networks have brought obsession with identity and self-management (Lovink, 2011, 39). With these issues, it is clear that Lovink questions the quality of being connected on social media and how negatively it has affected our lives. Although social media has helped connect us with people we love, friends, and relatives, social networks have also dramatically helped grow small businesses. However, the connection can be detrimental to our lives, especially when our identities are in crisis. We constantly get pressure from our friends' lives on social media, especially when they all post being happy with traveling and visiting fancy places.
On the other hand, we feel our lives are stuck, leading to depression. And because our friends need to maintain a certain image on social media, they tend to become obsessed with their identity, not knowing they are in crisis with identity and self-management. So one major issue that makes anyone question is the quality of how people staying connected on social media. Is "staying connected" with friends and families worth it if it leads to serious mental disorders? Definitely not, if such harm is caused by it.
 The Internet has inarguably changed the way we do everything in life, from communication to business; just as Lovink puts it, "once the internet changed the world, now the world is changing the internet" (Lovink, 2011, 01). Although technology has brought immense advantages in our lives, the criticism of the negative effects of technology is on the rise. More scholars are criticizing the Internet, suggesting that it is doing more harm than good. An excellent example of criticism of the negative sides of technology is described by Manovich through his description of interactive media art as manipulation in work, "On Totalitarian Interactivity," Manovich...