Synthetic Existence

Synthetic Existence is an article which focuses on the lost of human beings real identity over the network (online). This topic is an issue which I find to be very common throughout many people’s lives. As days go by more of our time is being focused towards a computer screen. The trend is going to continue as we live our lives through more and more technology.

Signs are already being shown as people are happy to be going through synthetic self transformations such as: breast augmentation, botox, plastic surgery, tummy tucks, etc. People even use programs such as Photoshop or Fotoflexer to be able to “perfect” their image before they place it over the internet globally (Facebook). Synthetic existence is occurring.

“People are neglecting their physical selves, as they as adopting false computer identities.” After coming home from school many go onto the computer and relax by going onto online programs such as MSN, Facebook, MySpace, etc. During these situations many tend to be someone their not by changing their identity. I can relate to many situations on MSN where this has occurred. For example I know of this one girl in grade 10 where at school she is this shy, quite, friendly, and nice person. When I went over to her house once she got onto the computer. As soon as she was online she’s was this “gangster”. Where she has a different look of herself on her display picture (poses and outfits she would never wear at school) and she talks differently online. She talked completely different then how she would talk to anyone at school face to face, including her friends. I told her that she was two different people at school and online but she didn’t accept the fact that she was synthetic. People are less and less resistant to the synthetic.

Also for many of us technology is being our new separate lives. Where we do online shopping, we work, and even socialize. With this technology capable for any age group to use, our world will become abandoned! Our streets will have nothing but dust balls rolling everywhere! A typical day for this person would be, wake up, work (online), eat, shop (online), and then talk to friends and family online. There will be no movement in a human’s life (exercise), this would affect the environment as jobs would be online, having no farmers around to grow and harvest, the amount of electricity used would increase rather then decrease to save power, and people wouldn’t care about what is occurring in the world since they’re indoors most of the time.

As the article talks about sooner or later we will be able to create artificial selves or avatars to function in the online world for us. These avatars will do anything we want them to do and look how we want them to look. Sooner or later we will be able to actually experience what our avatars are feeling. Many online games these days allow you to create and avatar to be able to live your own life, make online friends and talk to them. I can relate back to a game that I use to play on the internet called Millsberry. This game allows you to dress up your own avatar however you like, big eyes, small nose, long hair, skinny body, etc. Then you go out and explore the town. This means buying your avatar new clothes, new haircuts, and even meeting up with other people on the streets and claiming them as your friends. Also on Millsberry, you must feed your avatar just how you would feed yourself, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and desserts. This avatar becomes the fake you as you must take care of it or else it will die eventually.

When it comes to feeling the emotions of your avatar I was faced this on Halo 3, and Xbox 360 game. In this game you are placed into missions which you must complete. I play this game almost any break which I get including the weekends, if I don’t get too much homework. At these missions we are to defend our flag, kill the other teams, etc. If my avatar gets hurt, shot, or injured from the opposite team, I feel that anger it has and wants to keep playing until I win the level. I’m able to feel these feelings as my brain has been hooked up to brain monitors (since I play too much) which allows me to experience what my avatar is feeling. Or even other simplier games such as Millsberry where i buy new clothes, or haircuts for it and I get excited since I know how it feels in the real world.

The increase of dependency will not decrease but rather increase. This trend is not going to reverse itself. With many new latest technologies coming on, it increases our chances of synthetic existence. We will become more and more connected as we will be living as one brain. Our self identity will fade away.