In this blog post, I’ll explore—based on my own experiences—how science and technology influence our lives, ways of thinking, and behaviors, and how they are changing us.
The Lives of Modern People Shaped by Science and Technology
We all live in modern society. I won’t attempt to define modern society here. Since we are already living within it, we have a vague—or perhaps clear—sense of what it looks like and what its characteristics are. Of course, the degree to which each individual perceives this will vary. Modern society is characterized by rapid change across all sectors of society. What was true yesterday becomes new today, and it is not just one area that changes—multiple areas change simultaneously.
So why has modern society come to possess these characteristics? While there may be various reasons, I believe science and technology are the most central driving force behind modern society. This is because the patterns of development in science and technology and the patterns of change in modern society are unfolding in very similar ways. By now, everyone knows that science and technology are advancing at a very rapid pace. We also know that these changes are occurring across nearly all fields of science and technology, not just in specific areas. Information technology (IT) has already become deeply embedded in our daily lives, and innovations continue in various fields such as biotechnology (BT), nanotechnology (NT), artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics. Therefore, as someone living in modern society, I am constantly being influenced by science and technology, whether I am aware of it or not. To put it more bluntly, one could say, “Science and technology are shaping me.”
Have you ever seen the movie ‘Wall-E’? Released in 2008, this animated film is set in a future society where science and technology are highly advanced. The story follows people who left Earth and lived for many years aboard a massive spaceship, only to return once the once-polluted Earth had recovered enough to support life again. Thanks to cutting-edge science and technology, the people on the spaceship have become so physically bloated that they cannot even stand up on their own. They move by floating through the air while seated in chairs equipped with robotic functions, and they rely on machines for most aspects of their daily lives. Although this is an extreme portrayal, it shows how humans have completely adapted to the various devices created by science and technology. To put it mildly, they have “adapted,” but the expression “been shaped” resonates much more deeply.
So, more specifically, how does science and technology shape me? In fact, science and technology alone cannot change me—whether physically or mentally. This is because the mere existence or advancement of science and technology has no direct connection to me. However, the story changes the moment science and technology enter the areas of my life where they intersect with me. As they come into direct contact with me, they begin to exert both direct and indirect influences. So, how does science and technology enter my life? It is through the various devices we use every day. I’m talking about the countless devices we’re so familiar with that it’s not even easy to list them all one by one.
Computers that accompany us for a significant portion of our waking hours, smartphones we carry close to our bodies all day long, wireless earbuds or smart devices that let us listen to music anytime, navigation systems that guide me—someone with a poor sense of direction—along the way, remote controls that minimize movement within the home, and even the TV that keeps me company during lonely moments—all of these are examples. Now, devices like smartwatches and voice assistants have also naturally become part of our daily lives. These devices—which have become so commonplace that it’s hard to even list their names—are all the result of science and technology being integrated into practical forms, and it is precisely through these devices that science and technology are shaping who I am.
How Science and Technology Are Changing Me
Both my external and internal aspects are influenced by science and technology. Computers, which allow me to sit in front of a monitor for long periods while moving only my fingers, have significantly altered my lifestyle. As I repeatedly spent long hours sitting, natural changes occurred in my buttocks and thighs, and my abdomen gradually began to bulge. As my body shape changed, the clothes I used to wear no longer fit well. There are also various devices that take over even movements within a distance of 1–2 meters.
Once I sit down, I can control nearby devices with a single remote control without even getting up from my seat. The remote control has reduced my physical activity, and as a result, my weight has started to creep up little by little. Although it wasn’t as extreme as the people in ‘WALL-E’, I, too, was gradually being shaped in that direction.
These changes aren’t limited to just physical appearance. Nowadays, unless it’s a family member or someone very close to me, I find it difficult to even memorize a few digits of a phone number. That’s because when I hear someone’s number, I don’t need to memorize it—I can just save it to my smartphone’s contacts right away. When making a call, instead of dialing the number manually, I simply search for the saved name and press the call button. These convenient features of smartphones have naturally reduced my effort to memorize numbers.
In the past, I used to verify a number through an automated service and then dial it from memory, double-checking to make sure I hadn’t misremembered it. But now, such experiences have become increasingly rare. Changes have emerged not only in our ability to memorize numbers but also in other areas. Even during my school days, I wasn’t particularly good with spatial awareness—I would sometimes even get confused about the location of my school. However, thanks to navigation systems—which have become widespread due to advances in satellite navigation (GPS) and communication technology—I rarely get lost anymore. Conversely, my efforts to memorize geographical information and develop a sense of direction have diminished compared to before. Furthermore, as I use calculators and smartphone calculators with increasingly diverse functions, I find that performing simple arithmetic operations or solving linear and quadratic equations by hand has become more difficult than it used to be.
Of course, these external changes and shifts in intellectual ability aren’t the whole story. Thanks to smartphones, I’ve been able to build a much broader network of relationships than before. This is because I can easily stay in touch at any time with people I would normally find difficult to meet in person. As communication without face-to-face interaction has increased, I’ve developed the habit of carefully choosing my words—whether spoken or written—to ensure the other person doesn’t misunderstand. This is because communication via text messages, instant messengers, or social media is more likely to be misinterpreted than a conversation where people are face to face.
On the one hand, the advancement of communication devices has expanded the scope of our interactions with people outside our immediate circle, but at the same time, a contrasting phenomenon has emerged. Although the channels connecting us to others have multiplied, people’s attention is often focused more on themselves than on those around them. If you look around on a subway or bus, you can easily see that most people are disconnected from their surroundings, their eyes fixed on their smartphone screens. The sight of people immersed in their own digital worlds while physically close to one another has become a common scene in today’s world.
What is always visible is but a tiny fraction of what remains unseen—much like the tip of an iceberg. Even these everyday examples alone are enough to demonstrate the significant impact that science and technology have on us. If this is the case, then in the many other areas we may not yet be aware of, science and technology are likely influencing us in far more diverse and complex ways. In this way, science and technology are involved in every aspect of my life and are constantly changing me.
Science and technology are still shaping us today
Modern people now live in an era where it is difficult to survive without science and technology. No one can completely escape the influence of science and technology. Our surroundings are already filled with countless products created by science and technology, and these continue to influence our lives, both yesterday and today. That influence is not limited to the physical realm. It has a broad impact on our personalities, ways of thinking, learning styles, interpersonal relationships, and even various areas we may not yet be aware of. Furthermore, these changes can be positive or negative, and in some situations, they may appear value-neutral. Countless small, invisible changes have accumulated to shape who I am today, and even at this very moment, they are continuing to shape a new version of me. In a future society where the influence of science and technology will grow even greater, these changes will permeate every aspect of our lives far more deeply than they do now.
