Technological Somnambulism – a fascinating concept, a term coined by Langdon Winner in his essay, “Technologies as Forms of Life” that explores relationship between technology and society. While examining relationship between philosophy and technology, Winner’s essay is ultimately structured around basic idea that people are unaware (thus “Somnambulism” or sleepwalking)  that they are significantly changing their lives to accommodate new technology.

And he explores possible reasons for why it happens:

• we view technology as an object, tool thus creating a separation between us and technology — we can always pick it up or put it down;
• there is a separation between “the makers” of technology and “users” of technology — creating a rift in research and foreseeable long-term implications;
• technology seem to create new worlds or “forms of life” around us by restructuring common and everyday things (like, who uses phone as a phone anymore?) and is defined solely by how it is used.

As grim as it sounds at first (and maybe is somewhat “soft” technological determinism, really), I feel the Technological Somnambulism theory implies that we as humans can have some choice/control? (i have not decided on which it is yet, maybe both?) in how technology changes human development through changing our behavior. We socially condition ourselves to ignore the change as it happens.  As a result or in the process of this conditioning the technology then becomes part of our every day lives to the extend that it is a “second nature” to us. We simply do not give it a second thought anymore. But if we are aware of the reasons, surely we can adjust our behaviors. Here are just few questions that immediately came to my mind after reading about Technological Somnambulism:

• What conscious decisions can I make about technology in my live and (how) would they make a difference? 
• When we reject a piece of technology do we do so because it does not do what we need, too complicated,  peer pressure, marketing, cost, stubbornness? Do we accept it for the same reason? And if  all things being equal, why is it that I can say no to Facebook where all of my friends are but need to have Amazon Alexa on my counter?
• If technology is such a huge part of our lives, what implications are there when I make a decision to ban technology from my classroom?
• How can I wake my students up?

I think this topic is relevant to this course because it takes a step back from “cause-and-effect” modality and offers instead to look at the “now-and-how.” Technology is here and it is not possible for us as educators to keep dismissing the fact that we are the “operating parts.” Yet, we are still debating whether it belongs in our classroom. It is in our classroom, it is in a pocket of every student who sits in front of us. The questions is not whether we let it in, the question is how we utilize it for learning, bring awareness (Digital Literacy, diiiiigiiiital liiiiiiteracy, digitAL Literacy) and help shape the social reconstruction process itself.

Readings:

• Technologies as Forms of Life by Langdon Winner – the original article that outlined the theory. Even if you are not interested in this theory this essay is worth the read. A conglomeration of Winner’s personal experience, a mush-up of philosophies of  Wittgenstein and Marx, language, politics, and common sense.
• Something completely different (a bit of fun):

• http://www.futuretimeline.net/ — nice technology timelines (past, present, and future)
• http://spectrum.ieee.org/static/singularity — the most comprehensive resource on the future of Singularity

• Do Artifacts Have Politics? by Langdon Winner  — autocratic vs. democratic technologies. Explores the consequences of technological innovation in political terms. 

• A 58 page document that evaluates the value of Internet Search, perhaps one of the biggest technology we take for granted. Sure, some of it will put you to sleep, but there are some eye opening statistics there. Disclaimer: it is from 2011.
• And finally, the man who questioned things first in 1964… Marshall McLuhan, Understanding Media the Extensions of Man