How Technology Disconnects Us From Society (New Yorker Covers)

   Humanity's evolutionary progress and technological achievement have been interconnected throughout recorded human history; whenever a problem occurred we found a way to ease our own burden. When our load was too heavy we invented the wheel, when we couldn't run down our prey we invented the spear, and along with the millions of other examples of our technological progress have led us to our current global domination of our environment. But has there been a hidden casualty to our rise to the top? Have we lost the most basic ability of human interaction because of our reliance on technology?

   Throughout it's history, the New Yorker has been exploring this connection between the lost of personal communication and technological interference through their facinating cover art. In this particular cover from 1937, we see this struggle of man and technology play out as a couple is stranded out at sea with a broken a engine. As the man desperately attempts to repair their motor, his date/spouse looks longingly out to sea with a look of almost disappointment and sadness. With the man's back turned to her, I believe it's almost a metaphor for how our obsession with technology is keep us from spending that precious time with our friends and family.

    While the detachment from our social surroundings is a serious issue, sometimes the New Yorker likes to point fun at their own policies. Like in this cover from 1971, a monk is seen strolling through the plaza of a monestary while listening to what appears to be a radio. The life of a monk is often taken with a vow of silence to help distance themselves from the problems of society to devote themselves completely to the Lord. This may seem like a harmless and rather comical representation, but does this mean for the future of religion in a world dominated by technology? Will the fates of the past learn to cooperate with science or will they react in a hostile attitude?

    This brings us to the most recent cover art I have selected to express this conflict in socialization and technology. This cover from 2007 shows a small child holding a cell phone while taking a picture of his parents in their bed. This is not only deeply disturbing that a child would take a picture of this kind of intamate behavior of his parents, but that this child being so young can operate a phone so well. How will this affect this generation, where it is not only normal but expected for you to do most of your socialization online? If these lessons are already being taught, how will people be able to grow up without a phone in their hands texting away?