With all the rage over social media and the rise of ultra-convenient apps in recent years, it would be difficult to argue that modern tech developments and innovations are actually aiding in the removal of human interaction from our daily lives. Right? Well, not according to David Byrne.
The Talking Heads mastermind posted an extensive article to his online journal, where he suggested many modern emerging technologies are eliminating the need for our involvement entirely. Using images, graphs and a fair number of sources, Byrne makes the case that companies like Facebook, Airbnb, Eatsa and Amazon, which often claim to connect us, also have a resulting “unintended effect” that further drives us apart.
Art is increasingly being sold online. Digital music services tell you what your friends like so you don’t have to ask them yourself. VR games are technically interactive but most are played by one person interacting virtually. Robots and AI are eliminating human decision-making and jobs. These are but just a few of the points driven home by Byrne in his new blog post.
While Byrne does point out a number of downsides resulting from modern advancements in technology, he does acknowledge the many efficiencies and conveniences they offer and admits to using several of them. In the end, he makes a sound argument that human unpredictability offers “the benefit of surprises, happy accidents and unexpected connections and intuitions” and says removing interaction with others greatly reduces these opportunities.
Read the complete post, which is more an observational commentary as opposed to a judgement piece, here, enjoy Byrne’s above rendition of “Road to Nowhere” with St. Vincent and definitely keep an eye out for his next solo album, which the singer and multi-instrumentalist recently confirmed (in this Reddit AMA) involves quite a bit of human interaction with frequent collaborator Brian Eno.