cyborgessay 1

Mackenzie Sanchez
Cynthia Hamlett
English 101
September 25, 2014
Destination Cyborgs Humans in this world are reconstructed in many different ways without any of us knowing. We are all very oblivious to how much technology we use each and every day. Andrea says, “As we surrender our cognitive independence to our devices in an effort to make our lives easier, what is happening to our humanity? Is it a tradeoff between greater intelligence and loss of humanity?” (Kuszewski p. 1). We would not be able to survive without the technology we have because, we depend on so many things. As years go by, the more advanced technology gets and the more we become helpless. Transportation is one of our biggest technologies and it began in 3000-4000 B.C. and has changed dramatically since. We as humanity can be defined as cyborgs because of our strong attachments to technology, for example transportation methods. A cyborg is a mixture of organic and mechanical parts. Donna believes that everyone is categorized as being an animal or a machine. Some people have implants to help with something they do not have naturally or they had it but it does not function anymore the way it should. Mechanical parts are generally made to enhance the abilities of an organism by using technology. Donna Haraway believes she is a cyborg as much as she thinks the rest of us are. We are able to survive in many different ways; by having so many solutions to any disability. Humanity has such a strong dependency on everything we use each day. Clyne and Kline believe we are all cyborgs as much as Donna Haraway believes we are. Donna Haraway says “Even while we mistake ourselves for humans, the way we talk shows that we know we’re cyborgs.” (Haraway p. 4). Humans are aware of how much we use technology every day and will not argue we cannot get through a day without it. As time passes there are more ways to reconstruct ourselves to fit our desires. Not many humans choose their natural self anymore, they want to be like someone else or be someone they are not. Being a cyborg has led us to have a strong dependency on transportation.
Transportation is taken for granted and is unnoticeable by human beings. Over hundreds of years, different ways were invented for us to get to different places all over the world. Before all the vehicles were invented, the only way to get things around was a wheel and a cart, and that could only travel so many miles. Later in the years we went from horse and carriages to cars, buses, boats and planes. Transportation is a very important thing to the lives of humans. Our dependencies have expanded in so many ways over all these years. For example, when we get hungry we never even think about the drive there, we just think of our destination and the food we will be eating. It has become a strong habit for many of us. If there were no vehicles to get us from place to place, we would not have education or jobs to have a home and feed our families. There is so many ways to get to and from places. For instance, families would not be spread around the world if there were not boats or airplanes. Families would all still be together not even thinking about moving away because if there was not transportation then it would be impossible to go somewhere else. Not everyone would have a way to travel the world and see different countries or different states. The destination we were born at would be the only place we would know. There is so much to see in this world and we have to really think about how much we count on transportation and the technology we have for it. Not a single human being lives their life technology-free. We can all be defined as a cyborg.
We can be defined as a cyborg because whenever we need a place to go we have some vehicle to travel in. No human being is a natural human being anymore; everyone was instantly introduced to technology and transportation the day we were born. For example, Hari says “The realities of modern life happen to include a relationship between people and technology so intimate that it’s no longer possible to tell where we end up and machines begin.” (Kunzru p. 2). Our vehicles are set up so we can communicate with it and it can do what we ask for. As time goes on the more we are not doing things for ourselves. We have someone or something else doing it for us. Those opportunities were given to us and we take it for granted every day. Donna Haraway says “I’d rather be a cyborg than a goddess.” (Haraway p.2). Some humans would rather consider themselves as a cyborg but some will not. All this transportation from technology has made my existence different. My existence would be very different without technology; I would not have the things I have. Garik states, “For by cyborgs have existed for thousands of years.” (Tate p.1). The further we look back in time the more we can prove that cyborgs have existed with mild symptoms or extreme symptoms. I cannot imagine how life would be without having a job to get to or going to college. Life would be so simple and I would have no worries because you could not do anything or meet new people unless you walked everywhere. I would not be accomplishing anything if I did not have my car. Life would seem unnatural if we did not have any transportation technology. Andrea states, “If we stop using our cognitive skills and instead rely on technology to do all of your thinking for you, in time, those skills will start to atrophy.” (Kuszewski p. 1). Humans do not have to think what to do or remember certain things because we have devices to do it for us. Even though some do not they are still considered a cyborg because they use other technology. The societal developments have led us to transportation dependencies.
The developments the world has received has led us to so many dependencies on transportation. For example, we all need food and the only way to eat is to go to a grocery store or go to a restaurant. We never think about our drive or the way we get to place. It has come very natural for all of us. There are so many things for us to do that involve transportation. Hospitals are also a very important thing we have. We have ambulances that go get the injured people and take them to hospitals to get their medical assistance. Without any of those grocery stores or our society would still be growing their own food and trying to manage ways to survive. Our lives would be very different if we did not have transportation. The stuff we see every day involves many different businesses that were constructed with transportation. Transportation has also made a difference in education and working. Not many people would be in school or working if there was not a way to school or work. Education is a very important tool we all need so we can make a living. Alejandra said “I realized just how much our society depends on technology.” (Camacho p.1). People realize how our society would not be able to function without, transportation or technology. Education is open to a lot of people and the only way to get it is by using the bus or driving your vehicle. I personally think that Hari Kunzru reflected on Donna Haraways’s article is very good. I agree with all of us humans being considered as cyborgs. We are not who we are without it. Donna says “Technology is not neutral. We’re inside of what we make, and it’s inside of us. We’re living in a world of connections – and it matters which ones get made and unmade.” (Haraway p. 6). I believe we do make up who we are or we have parents who start it for us and we take what we learn and mold who we become. There are so many different ways to change ourselves into something we are not. As the years go by, the more we are becoming cyborgs. Better technology comes out and as humans we like to test everything out and embrace it. A new car comes out and everyone needs it because of what it can do. For example, the car that parks itself. People are willing to go buy that car because it can park better then they possibly can. In the next few years they are going to release a car that is going to drive itself. Humans are becoming more reckless when they are driving because their phone is more important than the road. The future of transportation is going to grow tremendously. The future is coming faster than we think and transportation is going to change in dramatic ways. The car that is going to drive itself is possibly going to come out with many more models as more of these cars are being used more people are going to buy them. Scientists are so smart they are finding ways to make this life easier for all of us. Some people have busy days and cannot focus on what they need to focus on. As time goes on the more humans are becoming less human and more of a cyborg because unhealthy people have a way to receive help from a mechanical piece, machine or another organ that was taken out from technology. Everything humans encounter involves technology in more ways than we could ever imagine. Transportation is one of our biggest dependencies that will prove we all can be considered a cyborg.

Works Cited
Camacho, Alejandra. "Our Dependence on Technology." Our Dependence on Technology. N.p., 08 Feb. 2008. Web. 25 Sept. 2014.
Kunzru, Hari. "Feature." Feature. N.p., 01 Feb. 1997. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Kuszewski, Andrea. "Is Technology Making Us Less Human?" Qualcomm Spark. N.p., 11 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2014.
Tate, Garik. "Cyborgs and Cybernetic Evolution." Enzine Articles. N.p., 30 Dec. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.

Cited: Camacho, Alejandra. "Our Dependence on Technology." Our Dependence on Technology. N.p., 08 Feb. 2008. Web. 25 Sept. 2014. Kunzru, Hari. "Feature." Feature. N.p., 01 Feb. 1997. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. Kuszewski, Andrea. "Is Technology Making Us Less Human?" Qualcomm Spark. N.p., 11 Sept. 2012. Web. 15 Sept. 2014. Tate, Garik. "Cyborgs and Cybernetic Evolution." Enzine Articles. N.p., 30 Dec. 2010. Web. 24 Sept. 2014.