The Society of the Spectacle is one of the most revolutionary texts of all time written by Guy Debord. The book narrates how human beings have become so technology-driven that they have forgotten to actually live through their experiences. However, Debord was not entirely against new technology but objected to the use of these technologies for economic gain.
By quoting Marxist philosophy on alienation and commodity fetishism, Debord examines the direct connection between mass media and the economy. He later concludes that media actively alters human perception, interactions, and relationships. Organizations have found new ways to manufacture new desires and aspirations in our minds to create a necessity for their products. The media interprets the world for us breaking the barrier of time and distance providing an impression of a connected universe. Despite his unfortunate demise, Debord’s concepts and ideas still live on and are clearly witnessed in our daily lives.
Present-day technology has reduced the need for any human interactions, for instance, a lot of people cannot remember the last time they asked for directions from a passer-by, most people use Google Maps or perhaps Siri. Despite the usefulness of these technologies and the convenience, people have been reduced to a series of commodity exchanges engineered by capitalist-driven individuals. These technologies rewire our behaviors, interactions, internal thoughts, and opinions rendering us helpless and at the mercy of the manufacturers.
Through the book, Debord continues his profound revelation on how mass media and technology have pacified human behavior while giving evidence of the same present in our daily lives. Despite not giving any clear suggestions on how to deal with this influence into our daily lives, Debord insists that affirmative action is needed if we are to reclaim our lives.
