Do we know ourselves better than technology knows us?
To survive from manipulation in the age of technology, we must know ourselves better than technology knows us, which might be really challenging
Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, is immortalised by the phrase "Know Thyself." It means 'know yourself'. It is about understanding one's own character, which is crucial, since only by knowing the self, can one be conscious of his/her limitations as well as the potentials. Recognising one's character is the only way to develop morally or make the right decisions in life.
Centuries have gone past. Human civilisation has gone through unprecedented events. Now the question is, isn't "Know Thyself" a piece of obsolete advice in the 21st century - the era of massive technological advancement?
I believe this advice is more crucial in the 21st century. Because unlike the days of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, now with the advancement of biotechnology and machine learning, it has become easier to manipulate one's deepest emotions and desires.
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But knowing thyself in this era is a daunting task since social media and other digital platforms know how to pull the strings of my heart and press the button of my brain. With the operation of algorithms, they embody and rank what a user sees and buys on the platform. Today, while making a decision, the users follow the 'trending topics' categorisation.
Altogether, these algorithms determine which content gets boosted and which disappears without a trace. Aside from that, there is sponsored content which may be artificially promoted to certain audiences in return for money.
So, in this era of unprecedented technological advancement, if we don't know ourselves better, then we will be simply manipulated by the algorithms and will be used as a product of the marketing experts.
For example, currently I am preparing for the IELTS. Frequently, I search for relevant content on YouTube. But on the suggestion list among IELTS videos, I get some other random videos that distract me quite often as I keep watching those videos instead of the ones I originally intended.
On the contrary, a person with the absence of a specific purpose to use YouTube, who just uses it to entertain himself/herself, will start watching random videos, and hence, will be submerged into the loop of the algorithm.
While watching random videos, the person may just lose a couple of hours to regain his/her consciousness of why s/he is watching these. Thus, anyone can be manipulated by technology if doesn't know himself/herself.
Furthermore, it brings despondency, the person may suffer from indecision, lack of confidence in life which can bring a man down in the 21st century - the era of serious competition.
To survive from manipulation, in the age of technology, we must know ourselves better than technology knows us, which might be really challenging. But we don't spend that much time thinking about ourselves - who am I actually? What do I want? How is my character? My passion? Often we do not even understand what makes us happy. What should we do in life? Why am I doing what I am doing? What is the basic purpose? What do I want to be in life? What are my strengths or weaknesses?
It is not as easy as we think to know ourselves because our nature of thinking changes with time, with the surrounding environment. Based on the struggles of life, our demand changes, our choice, and enmity get transformed. However, there are still a few things that can help us know about ourselves. We can understand ourselves a little bit.
We can start by asking ourselves- what are we worth? What to do? When, where, how, and why to do it? Knowing our own character might be the second step. It is not about finding which colours, foods you like rather thinking about your personality. Finding the strengths and weaknesses you have.
Thirdly, setting priority is the most important thing. We have to identify the very things we want in life and act accordingly. Should I sacrifice my career for mere entertainment? It is up to me. No one is responsible for this, not even the technology. Finally, we have to find a mentor who could help us find our strengths and weaknesses. A mentor could guide us out of our comfort zone.
This is a lengthy process and the answers will take time to emerge. But once we truly know ourselves, we will no longer be manipulated by others' agenda and algorithm.
Md. Sohrab Hossen is a Research assistant at Centre for Advanced Social Research. He can be reached at sohrabhossenbu@gmail.com
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.
