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Is Technology Limiting Creativity?

To Create? Or to Experience Someone's Creativity?

By Sanj SPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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As of the date of publication, I stand as 18 years young. As an individual who has been immersed in the world of technology since birth, one may think that modern technology has no negative implications on society. However, the questions revolving around me have usually been if the future generations will lose sight of what to create, opposed to what has been created for us. Is it a tool to help us expand ourselves? As theorized by the late Canadian professor and philosopher, Marshall McLuhan, technology is but an extension of some form of human quality. This can be applied to the wheel as an extension of our feet, a book being the extension of our thoughts or social media as an extension of our voice. However, some believe that the rapid growth of technology has led ourselves to become dependant on it. To dispute the creativity of wonderful artists who use modern technology as a platform would be pure ignorance, but what of those who choose to only live vicariously through those who act, experiencing their creations instead of creating themselves?

I suppose the term technology remains vague in the sense of things due to the fact that the pencil or the plow qualify as technology. To narrow the term down, we will be discussing media and entertainment technology and its effects on creativity.

Photo by photo-nic.co.uk nic on Unsplash

If we refer back to Marshall McLuhan and his theory that technology is but an extension of some human quality, the expansion of modern technology should be creating a higher ceiling for our creative growth. An example of this is the introduction of film and its ability to tell stories. We take for granted what some films have become with the somewhat senseless violence and unnecessary explosions (I'm talking about you, Michael Bay), but the capability of film has allowed a mass culture of people to experience a story. Film differed from the storytelling in books due to the fact that the director was now able to visualize their story, characters, and environment onto a screen for others to witness.

But I suppose that's the real problem. Does having someone else create a work of art limit our own creativity? With film, we can witness characters and their experiences like never before and possibly develop our own ideas from the intimate experience of witnessing someone's life, seeing things that we may never have seen before. However, when reading a book, the reader has to interpret everything based on their own experiences and create their own environment, placing the characters and story that the author wrote inside it.

On such a mass scale, one's creativity may allow for the monetization of their creativity, prompting more people to allow their creativity to flourish, not having to worry about finances. This can be seen on this very platform where a multitude of creators with a plethora of ideas can publish their work for financial income, however small or large that is. Although not everyone can drop their day job to create, there remains an incentive for those who wish to create to do so.

Does virtual reality limit our creativity or allow us to prompt new ideas from others' creativity?

Photo by Samuel Zeller on Unsplash

Personally, I believe that modern technology does not but expand one's creative freedom as it acts as a platform to share and create content. To address those who remain creatively stagnant due to technology, an explanation for that is that technology has created a larger divide amongst the innately right-brain (creative side of the brain) thinkers and those who are left-brain (logical and analytical side of the brain) thinkers. Modern technology may have the capabilities to develop more creative thinkers through increased exposure to different forms of art from visual arts, music or writing.

If not for modern technology, especially in the media, writers such as myself and many more would still have ideas but no one to share and discuss with.

fact or fiction
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About the Creator

Sanj S

Just here for the fun of literature. I plan on continually posting articles regarding different topics from interviews, stories, and educational content. If you enjoy my content, feel free to follow my progress on this platform. Thanks!

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