inkskinned:

i think what bothers me about the whole trend of “technology is Evil” crowd is that everything i’ve seen focuses on individual and benign use of consumer goods. like i can name at least 20 comics i’ve seen that capitalize on the idea that a person on their phone or who watches tv is somehow brainwashed or empty. that technology is more than just phones – from contact lenses to better pencils – goes unheard. instead backup cameras are going to ruin drivers.

and i think it’s sort of telling that none of these – not from what i’ve seen, at least – talk about how technology is actually used for evil. like we learn to sit in front of televisions because corporations encourage that behavior and also because many of us work so much and so often that getting a moment to “shut off” is bliss. sure, betty should look up from her cell phone, but how about how our information can be taken and stored without our consent to be sold to advertisers? no, don’t rely on that backup camera, always double-check, but also maybe call out the usage of car tracking devices that allow abusers to control the whereabouts of their victims. like, buddy i’m just using this phone on the train instead of talking to people because like, i’m talking to people i like. maybe post a comic about media monopolies or ever-more-aggressive advertising or the throttling of internet for company gains or, hell, about the people who are in the factories making those phones. rather than blaming the consumer – who is probably just using the device the same way i use contact lenses – maybe actually talk about a bigger idea than “boo hoo we use too much internet”