Language and Technology: Two Gifts of Life
In a recent TV interview in which I was a guest, during the course of the interview, the interviewer asked me " What are the pros and cons of using technology”
Behind the question I presumed that there was an assumption that technology is an add-on or an artificial artifact to our existence and we have the choice of using it or not using it and we need to weigh its pros and cons before embarking on its adoption.
Like the TV interviewer most of us think that technology is an option. But, the reality is that technology is a language. It is a gift of life. It is part of human evolution as much as language is part and parcel of our existence and evolution. As with language the question is not should we use technology, it is a question of how much.
Humans can create only two things: fables and machines. Each one of them is a language on its own. Cultures are known for either creating fables or machines. Those cultures that nourished the art of fable created stories and epics. Those cultures that nourished creation of machines and built technologies.
Language is a system of communication. And technology is a system for environment control. Tools are to technology what words are for language.
Both language and technology have practically originated at the same time: about 1,00,000 years ago. Language grew faster than technology. At one time of human history language was the only junction of all human knowledge. To know the world, you need to know language. Reading was the predominant means of knowledge gain and writing was the only way to share it . Your ability to understand what you read and ability to express what you know or feel or experience is a function of your vocabulary. In oral tradition learning was by listening
For technology growth depends on scientific discoveries and their applications. As we know scientific discovery started in a major way with Newton’s laws and extended to other disciplines.
Systems are to technology what grammar is to language. In language, grammar provides protocols for production and publication. In technology, systems provide protocols for production and transmission. Today both technology and language are alike. They enable each other
Today technology is a new language . It is not going to replace our age old language instead it is going to enable and empower it further. However without its active help, reach and richness is severely limited; but with its help its reach and richness is multiplied enormously. For instance, a normal conversation between two people can not happen without language
In oral tradition, there were no paragraphs, no stanza, no compendiums nor collected works, no novels . It is the printed word that made it all possible. You would have not authors without printers or at least authors would not have got such an exposure for their works without their works available in printed form . So it is not pure language or their skills that made them authors. It is a printing press. It is true of all forms of literature
New forms of literature such as blogging have emerged for instance. Blogger is to web what author is to printing press
In effect language gives you a means to communicate. It is technology that empowers reach far and wide.
How much technology should a person learn or use? Well this is similar to a question about how much language one should learn . It is very simple . Learn as much as you need to survive. Unless you are a person who want be a dumb person refusing to talk to anyone in the world, you need to learn a language to some extent . But how much and how many depends on your ambition or necessity . A porter in a railway station may speak as many languages as required to succeed to get enough work from passengers alighting in his station. In cosmopolitan railway stations porters may know a dozen languages and in a remote station a porter may manage with one local language. An average U.S. Citizens know one language whereas an average indian college educated person is able to converse in 3 languages. So is with technology
How much of a language a person needs to know or how many languages is a variable, but it is never zero or nil.
Now it brings us to the main theme of this context. Technology is as natural as human language and needs to be treated as such. Before you ask the question what are the pros and cons of technology u may have to ask it for language as we'll.
Let us consider pros and cons of a language . Since we have language we can communicate, debate ,discuss and more. We build our entire democracy on debate, discussion and deliberation. These are pros of a language.
Then what are cons. Since we have language we can abuse others, accuse each other's leading minor fights to major wars. We hurt others sentiments and feelings because we have languages. No one has asked us to stop using language because of all these,
We need to remember all these When we ask the question: " what are the pros and cons of technology" Technology is boon when a vehicle takes you to your office or picnic. It is a bane when it meets with an accident and hurts you. It is again a boon when it is used as an ambulance to take you to hospital right?
This settles the issue of technology as an imperative language to be learnt by all although to different degrees depending on individual needs and circumstances . None the less the learning is never nil or zero
Having argued that technology is as deep as our language in shaping our destiny , now is time to develop an approach towards learning it.
Learning technology should start as early as one's life . It should start at the same time one starts learning her first language.
Humans are progress seeking animals. Progress often means taking on natural limits of forces. For instance Humans want to fly, but gravity pulls them down . They want to learn and remember everything , but human memory falls short of it. They want their voice or shout to be heard by everyone in the world, but their shouts weaken as it propagates and so become feeble that it is not audible after travelling a few meters. They want to work all the time but they get tired and have limited muscle power. They want to plough land endlessly or travel on bullock carts or horses for ever, but they get tired. Progress often means overcoming natural forces that impede you.
First natural limit humanity faced was that of memory. Until the invention of the printing press in the 14th century or so Knowledge and experience gained by an individual could be transferred to another only thoroughly orally. To learn something from a teacher both teacher and learner have to be physically present in realtime. ( continued...)