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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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To Save Everything, Click Here summary
Evgeny Morozov
The Folly of Technological Solutionism
13 mins
Table of Contents
To Save Everything, Click Here
summarized in 7 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 7
Technological solutionists believe that technology will always improve society.
Throughout history, new technologies have made human life easier. From the cotton gin to robotic arms in factories, many technologies have been invented in order to simplify or totally take over our tasks, meaning that people today have a lot less to worry about than they did 100 years ago.
In today’s world, modern machines line conveyer belts in factories, food production is almost completely automated, and new intelligent machines that take even more tasks off our hands are being invented every year.
This technological progress shows no signs of slowing, which suggests that the machines, gadgets and smart devices of the near future will only further simplify our lives.
Technological solutionists – whom the author refers to as “solutionists” – take this to mean that, with the right technologies, every single problem becomes solvable, and that there’s no problem that doesn’t have a “technological fix.”
While some of today’s problems might seem to be impossible to grapple with, history has shown that even these “impossible” problems can be solved by novel inventions.
For example, we once thought it was impossible for humans to take flight. And yet, the invention of the airplane suddenly allowed us to overcome great distances above the clouds. In the same vein, the internet and smartphones allow us to be constantly connected with people all over the world.
Solutionists take this a step further. They believe that new technologies won’t only solve specific problems, but will improve the quality of our lives in general. They see technology as a vehicle to improve every aspect of our modern society.
They believe, for example, that we can improve our democratic systems by using technologies, such as the internet, to make them more transparent, or use smart devices to curb crime.
Looking at the history of technology, it’s understandable why they would believe this. But, as the following blinks will show, technology may not be the answer to all our problems.
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What is To Save Everything, Click Here about?
To Save Everything, Click Here confronts us with some of the startling truths about our use of technology, namely: it’s not always good for us. While modern gadgets have made our lives better in many ways, it turns out that technology alone may not be the best answer to all of our problems.
Best quote from To Save Everything, Click Here
Remove the opportunity to break the law, and the government loses an important channel of learning from the citizens.
—Evgeny Morozov
Who should read To Save Everything, Click Here?
- Anyone who believes technology will solve all our problems
- Anyone who wants to understand the impact the internet has on our society
- Anyone who believes in a neutral and objective internet
Categories with To Save Everything, Click Here
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