The Human Evolution

We are all cyborgs now..

This line is Amber Case's main point in her talk on TED.com. She says that as humans become more in tune with the technology we create to help us live our lives, we become more dependent on it. No we're not the cyborgs we see in popular films, not yet anyway. A cyborg is simply defined as "an organism to which exogenous components have been added for the purpose of adapting to new environments." By simply using a computer to complete a task or using a cell phone to communicate with others, for that time we are a cyborg. With the rise of communicative technology, we are becoming more connected in ways never dreamed of 20 years ago. The new environment we are adapting to is a brand new world without the bounds of time and space. Two people can be on opposite ends of the globe and talk to one another without any travelling necessary. This is the most connected we have been in history.

As we become a new type of button-clicking human beings, what it means to be human is inherently changing. Our dynamics are fully changing. We no longer have only our physical self to worry about, but also the maintenance of our digital self. It is just as important since our presence on the Internet will be seen by more people. There is a digital record of what we've been through, our entire electronic history is stored and is on display for the world to see. This is not true in the physical world so it adds a new dynamic to our lives. Self presentation management is active through social websites, blogs, etc.

"It's too bad that everyone who has a solution for everything is at home commenting on the Internet" With society multitasking so much, few stop and focus on tasks as they come.

Here is Amber Case's talk on TED.com http://www.ted.com/talks/amber_case_we_are_all_cyborgs_now.html