AM I USING THIS TECHNOLOGY? OR IS THIS TECHNOLOGY USING ME?
We are not luddites. Much of our work and social lives requires our engagement with the internet and social media. A political movement that suggested abandoning our screens entirely would be alienating and ineffective, as it would exclude the majority of normal, working people.
For better or for worse, technology will continue its integration into the fabric of society throughout the remainder of the 21st century. The digital revolution led by Silicon Valley is but an early chapter in a much longer story. The world order in 2100 will depend largely on how the emergent technologies of today are implemented and regulated. Fortunately, there is still time to change course. Because this is not the way.
As long as we lack a humanistic, sustainable, and democratic digital infrastructure, we will disengage whenever possible by:
1. Boycotting extractive social media. Do not use social media that treats you as a product by harvesting your attention for profit. This includes Instagram, Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and many, many more.
2. Abandoning platforms altogether. A platform is defined as a “private, for-profit company that is digital-first.” (1). Whenever possible, shop brick-and-mortar (or order directly from the seller). Never use Amazon. Take a taxi, walk, or use public transportation. Never use Uber. When travelling, stay with friends, stay in locally-owned hotels, beds and breakfasts, or hostels. Never use Airbnb. In general, if you are relying on an app to solve a problem, ask yourself: is there another way? You may find that platforms supposedly designed to make your life easier in fact complicate it with overwhelming options and exuberant fees.
3. Refusing to interact with ChatGPT, Deepseek, Claude, Gemini, DALL-E, Grok, Midjourney, and all forms of generative AI until its architecture and development is totally transparent, its use in the humanities is heavily regulated, and it can be powered without destroying the environment. As it stands, environmentalism is completely incompatible with AI. Did you know: 100 words generated by ChatGPT is equivalent to dumping a bottle of water down the drain? (2).
4. Acknowledging that oligarchs have no place in a democratic society. Boycott their companies, protest their political projects. Make art and tell jokes that ridicule and demean them. Most of these people are tasteless, unfunny and easy to make fun of. No matter what they say, they are not on our side.
5. Promoting healthy relationships with technology. Technology should enhance human life. Not become it. Therefore, use digital technology only when it unequivocally improves your life. For most of us, this is probably no more than just a few times a day. When you video call a faraway family member, for example. Or when you share an article with a friend. There is no reason to be logging hours and hours of screen time.
6. Rejecting the notion that humans and computers are comparable. We are not machines. Key aspects of human intelligence cannot be digitized. We are creatures who, whether we like it or not, are bound to our genetics, our biology, and our environments. Who we are as a species, and who we are as individuals, cannot be separated from our physical world. Any AI imitation of human consciousness will only ever be an approximation.
Of course, there will be exceptions. Maybe it’s late, there are no taxis, and you need a ride home. But do not let the occasional slip lead you to abandon your principles altogether. Once you get home, nothing is forcing you to doomscroll yourself to sleep. We believe hypocrisy is a spectrum, and no one is perfect. But wherever you are, whomever you’re with, always be asking yourself: am I using this technology? Or is this technology using me?
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Sources
1. Mike Pepi, Against Platforms.
2. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2024/09/18/energy-ai-use-electricity-water-data-centers/