{"id":2660,"date":"2024-09-23T15:28:12","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T09:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/?page_id=2660"},"modified":"2024-09-23T15:28:12","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T09:58:12","slug":"technological-advancement-and-the-human-body-can-we-save-this-uneasy-marriage","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/technological-advancement-and-the-human-body-can-we-save-this-uneasy-marriage\/","title":{"rendered":"Technological Advancement and the Human Body – Can we save this uneasy marriage?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Our lives are being transformed at a frenzied pace. Our habits are being reframed like never\u00a0before. Humanity is progressing at a frenetic pace. But let us step outside the halo of self-assured\u00a0smugness that this new course has constructed around us, and reflect for a moment. What is\u00a0progress<\/em>?<\/p>\n

At a simple level of understanding, the Cambridge Dictionary<\/em> defines \u201cprogress\u201d as \u201cmovement\u00a0to an improved or more developed state, or to a forward position\u201d. In economic terms, it could\u00a0mean economic growth; although most economists today would be reluctant to equate mere\u00a0economic growth with progress – whether the fruits of that growth are being enjoyed by the\u00a0entire populace is what would concern them more. But if one were to move away from these\u00a0more general, and dare I say, material definitions of the term to a more human and individual,\u00a0almost intimate, meaning, progress would be perhaps deciphered differently.<\/p>\n

My own human<\/em> and intimate<\/em> definition of progress would be the process of enhancement of the\u00a0ability of the body, and mind, to function at its most optimum level for as long as possible,\u00a0without breaking a sweat. It could perhaps be better explained by invoking elements from a
\ncouple of verses of the Bhagavad Gita<\/em>. This first is \u201csamatva\u1e41 yoga uchyate<\/em>\u201d, which essentially\u00a0translates to \u201cequanimity is Yoga\u201d. Many scholars have interpreted this to also mean that \u201cYoga\u00a0is the state of balance, or harmony\u201d. The second verse talks about how \u201cYoga essentially means\u00a0having dexterity in one\u2019s actions\u201d or \u201cYogah karmasu kaushalam<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Illustration 1: Roger Federer in motion. It could be argued that Federer, in full song, was the\u00a0living embodiment of both the state of harmony with oneself and having full dexterity in one\u2019s\u00a0actions.\u00a0Image Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Now, by marrying my definition of progress with these two elements of the definition of Yoga,\u00a0one could reach the conclusion that, essentially, progress should mean that, on one hand, the\u00a0process of enhancing the ability of the body to perform at its optimal level, with dexterity, is set\u00a0rolling. However, it is equally important to ensure that this process of attaining skill or ease is\u00a0not an endeavour which disrupts the state of harmony and balance within the human body. Thus,\u00a0any process which causes imbalances or fluctuations in the state of harmony in our body should\u00a0not be interpreted as progress; it is, in fact, the antithesis of progress. Such a process could\u00a0potentially become a great hindrance in the pursuit of progress in one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

It is in this context that I would like to place the rapid, truly mind blowing advancement in\u00a0technology that we find ourselves engulfed with at the moment. It is absolutely beyond debate\u00a0that the advancements in technology that have occurred over the past hundred years has made
\nhuman beings\u2019 life more comfortable and productive than ever before. This degree of \u201cease of\u00a0living\u201d has definitely not been enjoyed by any generation in any period of human history before.\u00a0We are more connected to fellow human beings on the planet than we have ever been. At first thought, these developments warrant nothing but a great celebration of what the human race has\u00a0been able to conjure up to improve fellow human lives. However, a closer look at these\u00a0developments, and their impact, could throw up details that may not be entirely pleasant to the\u00a0investigator.<\/p>\n

The current age is also an age where non-communicable diseases – which are classified as\u00a0diseases that are not spread by infection or through contact with other people, but, in fact,\u00a0through unhealthy behaviours – are rampant throughout the globe, particularly in the more\u00a0developed parts of the world, which have embraced the advancements in technology in a much\u00a0deeper sense than the developing or the underdeveloped world. It is no secret that these diseases,\u00a0which include cancer, heart diseases, auto-immune disorder and diabetes, are more often than not
\nheavily dependent on one\u2019s lifestyle choices for their occurrence, and later even their\u00a0progression. So, what we see is that a steady advancement in technology, along with a steady\u00a0advancement in its level of integration into our daily lives, is wreaking havoc in our body\u2019s
\nsystems, in more ways than one.<\/p>\n

At a very basic, almost lay-person level of understanding, it is quite easy to point out why this\u00a0could be happening – as technology, and its enabling of automation and digitisation, performs\u00a0more and more of those tasks for us which were previously part of our everyday routines, it is\u00a0quite natural for the components of the body that used to be involved in those activities to fall\u00a0into disuse. Disuse, in turn, brings with it further complications, many of which begin to affect\u00a0even other systems of the human body. Thus, in a chain-like reaction, non-activity in one part of\u00a0the body leads to a systemic failure of sorts, which leads to the eventual onset of disease.<\/p>\n

Another, more subtler way to comprehend this is through the help of the Yogic pancha kosha\u00a0theory. According to this theory, the human body is made up of five koshas or sheaths of existence. They are Annamaya kosha (food\/physical sheath), Pranamaya kosha (vital air\/life
\nforce sheath), Manomaya kosha (mental sheath), Vijnanamaya kosha (intellectual sheath), and\u00a0Anandamaya kosha (bliss sheath) (Nagendra &amp; Nagarathna, 2008). Now, in certain Karma Yoga<\/em>\u00a0traditions, it is believed that to ensure sound health of the Anandamaya kosha, it is essential to\u00a0engage in actions or activities where one does<\/em> for others, instead of just doing<\/em> for oneself. This\u00a0doing<\/em> could involve helping someone in need, taking care of another person, or simply even\u00a0helping keep your surroundings clean. The point is to do<\/em> something for the society at large,\u00a0instead of just for the sake of oneself. When one does<\/em> not engage in such actions, the\u00a0Anandamaya kosha does not function at its optimal level. And when the Anadamaya kosha is not\u00a0functioning properly, its effects percolate down to all the grosser sheaths of our body, ultimately\u00a0resulting in sickness or disease in the Annamaya kosha, which is our physical body. One could\u00a0argue that technological advancements only enable us to serve society in an even better manner.\u00a0While it could be true, what our experience shows us is that while organisations, or even\u00a0governments, have incorporated technological developments into their programs for societal\u00a0welfare, at an individual level, the quality of our interaction with society has only deteriorated.\u00a0Technology has made us more impersonal, self-centered and individualistic than ever before.<\/p>\n

It is not just the rise of non-communicable diseases that is a cause for concern in our times. The\u00a0technical advancement has been proven to have adversely impacted the human psyche. The\u00a0\u201cdigital age\u201d we currently live in, made possible only through the technological advancements\u00a0over the past century or so, is almost solely responsible for diminished attention spans,\u00a0unpredictable emotional swings, increased isolation, and in some extreme cases, even\u00a0radicalisation (Fabbo, 2023).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Illustration 2: The future course of technological advancement warrants an approach that marries\u00a0both ease of living and human wellness
\nImage Source: People Matters<\/p>\n

The purpose of this piece is not to belittle or malign the immense contributions that technological\u00a0advancements have made to our lives. Neither is it an attempt to thwart the further development\u00a0of technology, which, I believe, is inevitable. But, certainly, I will be glad if this serves as a wake\u00a0up call for those crafting the next evolution of technology. Technology can certainly aid human\u00a0progress, but in this quest for advancement, let us not lose sight of what this progress is, and who\u00a0it is ultimately for.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong>
\n1. https:\/\/dictionary.cambridge.org\/dictionary\/english\/progress
\n2. https:\/\/www.ifrc.org\/our-work\/health-and-care\/community-health\/non-communicable-
\ndiseases
\n3. Fabbo, I. (2023). The Digital Age is Making us Worse Humans<\/em>. Sacred Heart University.
\n4. Nagendra, HR., & Nagarathna, R. (2008). Integrated Approach of Yoga Therapy for\u00a0Positive Health<\/em>. Swami Vivekananda Yoga Prakashana.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our lives are being transformed at a frenzied pace. Our habits are being reframed like never\u00a0before. Humanity is progressing at a frenetic pace. But let us step outside the halo of self-assured\u00a0smugness that this new course has constructed around us, and reflect for a moment. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2660","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2660"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2660"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2660\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2664,"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2660\/revisions\/2664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/sites.iitgn.ac.in\/digitalstudies\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}