Nainika Gupta
With the advent of the digital age, technologies such as the internet have become an irreplaceable part of our lives. Interacting with the internet every day is almost unavoidable; people cannot help but post minute-to-minute updates of their daily lives on social media. There seems to be no unease in showing the world every nook and cranny of oneself. It’s almost natural, like a reflexiveaction. Daniel Silve has humorously said, “Were Descartes alive today, he might have written: I tweet, therefore I am.” This boom in usage of the internet has undeniably made connectivity easier and has increased the accessibility to information from all across the world.
However, with such an inseparable merge of the internet and the self, one cannot help but question what this integration holds for the world. Impacts such as addiction to the internet, less retention of information and loss of creativity, amongstothers, are highly common. But, thinking further: what will happen if everything is permanently documented online, a record spanning geographical distances and even time scales? What happens to a world in which nothing is forgotten?
Memories form the basis of one’s identity; everything one knows about the world is recordedthrough their memories. Now that memories are predominantly recorded on the internet through machines such as computers, and smartphones, these memories don’t belong exclusively to an individual. When one’s experiences and perceptions are offloaded onto the net, they become external to the individual. It’s quite ironic to see that this alienation from one’s own memory is somehow making us more intertwined with technology. When one relies on an external medium to store and recall memories, what would happen to our ability to remember? Could the human race, in the future, forget how to remember? In that case, how would we form ideas unique to ourselves, or even connect with other people? With this dependence on external sources, it’s crucial to consider questions such as these.
If whatever one posts on the internet have a life of its own indefinitely, this shared data might outlive people who posted them in the first place. This implies that even after a person passes away, their ‘digital self’ continues to live on. With access to such a platform, one can get a glimpse into the life of a person who lived in the past. Generally, trees are known to be silent spectators of generations that pass by before them; they keep a watchful eye on the world around them. Now, the internet seems to have superseded the trees to become the all-seeing immortal spectator. This brings into question issues such as data privacy and misuse of information.
How does this organization of information affect the world? The brain's encoding and processing abilities do not operate with definite precision, which makes memories subjective. However, ifone starts to receive organized, systematized information, the subjectivity of memories might be lost. The perception of the past may transition to a more objectively defined one. Moreover, with a decrease in the importance of reflecting on the past, the rush towards the future increases all the more. This raises questions about the need to remember memories and whether anything is real at all if it's not documented online.
Do experiences still hold value if they aren't recorded on cameras? Do we determine their worth by the quality of pixels or the actual moment experienced in real time?
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of capturing and sharing moments online. Social media and technology have made it easier than ever before to stay connected and document our lives. However, it's essential to pause and take a step back from the constant barrage of external agencies. We must remember to appreciate the present moment, rather than just focusing on capturing it for others to see. To put it bluntly, it's important to pause and not completely rely on external agencies such as the internet. Instead of solely focusing on capturing and sharing moments online, we should try to enjoy them in the present.
It's important to exercise caution when sharing personal information online. We must evaluate what we share and question why we are sharing it. Are we sharing to genuinely connect with others, or are we simply seeking validation through likes and comments? One should be mindful of the potential consequences of sharing personal information online and take steps to protect our privacy.
In our increasingly digital world, we have seen that memories and experiences are being shaped by external forces, such as social media and the internet. It's crucial to actively question and evaluate the memories being handed to us and decide whether they align with our values and beliefs. We must strive to be active participants in shaping our lives, rather than passive recipients of external influences.
As we navigate through memories of the past, dreams of the future, and our current reality, we must consider the precarity of our situation. The internet is a powerful tool that can both inform and misinform. We must be vigilant in fact-checking and seeking out multiple perspectives to make informed decisions.
The thrust of what I am saying is this: It's important to pause and reflect on how external agencies are shaping our lives and our memories. We must strive to be active participants in shaping our own lives and memories and exercise caution when sharing personal information online. Maintaining an open mind and healthy scepticism towards the internet is essential to navigating the world effectively in this age of digitalization.
The writer is a student at Plaksha University. All views shared are personal.
