TY - GEN
T1 - The social phenomenon of body-modifying in a world of technological change
T2 - 2016 IEEE Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century, 21CW 2016
AU - Bradley Munn, Sharon R.
AU - Michael, Katina
AU - Michael, Mg
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 IEEE.
PY - 2016/8/18
Y1 - 2016/8/18
N2 - The current level of uncritical adoption in bodymodifying devices, and the propensity for remaking the human body through the aid of technology, is moving society closer to a human-machine fusion. We are at the brink of postmodernity in all its fullness. This paper speculates on the pros and cons of such a reality and insists on the right of the individual to be able to self-govern his/her own body, maintaining the right to choose. How individual choice is limited is also discussed, as industry innovation cycles get faster, and the need for continuous disruption means that the consumer is often at the mercy of an adapt or die kind of dilemma. What happens when complex technologies, like embedded microchips become a default way of living and working, transacting and interacting with no alternatives? These are just some of the questions explored in this qualitative study on body-modifying devices.
AB - The current level of uncritical adoption in bodymodifying devices, and the propensity for remaking the human body through the aid of technology, is moving society closer to a human-machine fusion. We are at the brink of postmodernity in all its fullness. This paper speculates on the pros and cons of such a reality and insists on the right of the individual to be able to self-govern his/her own body, maintaining the right to choose. How individual choice is limited is also discussed, as industry innovation cycles get faster, and the need for continuous disruption means that the consumer is often at the mercy of an adapt or die kind of dilemma. What happens when complex technologies, like embedded microchips become a default way of living and working, transacting and interacting with no alternatives? These are just some of the questions explored in this qualitative study on body-modifying devices.
KW - body-modification
KW - embedded systems
KW - human
KW - implants
KW - innovation
KW - technological change
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84988001339&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84988001339&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/NORBERT.2016.7547463
DO - 10.1109/NORBERT.2016.7547463
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84988001339
T3 - 2016 IEEE Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century, 21CW 2016
SP - 72
EP - 77
BT - 2016 IEEE Conference on Norbert Wiener in the 21st Century, 21CW 2016
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Y2 - 13 July 2016 through 16 July 2016
ER -