Surrogates: The Future Of Human Relationships?
Being a science fiction geek, I could not pass up the opportunity to see the movie Surrogates starring Bruce Willis.
The movie's basic premise is very provocative. What if almost everyone on earth were able to experience their day-to-day lives virtually through a sophisticated robot called a "surrogate?"
Your surrogate can be any gender, ethnicity, or age. You feel what the surrogate feels. You see what the surrogates sees.
However, surrogates are stronger, faster, and more beautiful replicates of human beings. They can suffer extreme physical damage, all without harm to you, who operate them from within the relative safety and comfort of your home.
As I was watching this movie, I could not help thinking how seductive this premise was and how close humanity may be to a future of this kind.
Even though we presently do not have robotic "surrogates," the technology we do have available to us: cell phones, email, instant messaging, chat rooms, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. provides us with near instant access to almost anyone else in the world.
More importantly, we can now connect with others without having to step one foot out our front door.
Yes, we do indeed live in exciting times, but as I was leaving the theater, a troubling question kept nagging at me. Are we becoming too comfortable communicating with each other virtually via our technology versus real face-to-face contact?
If so, what future implications will this have on our relationships?
Did you know that internet addiction is a very real problem affecting millions? There are countless case studies of individuals who have lost their marriages, children, jobs and more due to their all-consuming desire to surf the web, interact with various social media outlets, view porn, participate in online games such as World of Warcraft, enter chat rooms, etc.
In fact, internet addiction has become such a concern that the Center for Internet Addiction Recovery was established in 1995 to address this very issue.
The world of Surrogates is pure fiction - for now. However, as our technology becomes more advanced, does this movie offer a window into the future of how we will interact with each other?
What are your thoughts? Do you believe that we are becoming more impersonal in our dealings with others?
Do you even feel that this topic is cause for concern?
Please share your thoughts and opinions with us!
communication, internet addiction, relationships, surrogates in Special Interest Print Article Email Article Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 8:44PM 
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Reader Comments (2)
I recently wrote about how technology seems to be impairing our face to face relationships. It's great that we can email our friend on another continent, but not so great when we text a friend or loved one instead of seeing them in person. I'm hoping that the next generation doesn't lose the skills that are necessary for personal communication and that their addiction to gadgets and electronics will be more widely recognized as a serious problem.
I share the same concern that the next generation will lose many of the skills necessary for successful interpersonal relationships.
It is extremely fascinating to me that many of the most popular science fiction movies of all time including The Matrix and Terminator, share the theme of humanity's loss of control to its technology.
While some may scoff and say that my observation is one of an alarmist, my sincere belief is that these movies do serve as cautionary tales for us all.