Perfect Garden

     The image depicted in Pawel Kuczynski’s “Perfect Garden” is one of an individual mowing a yard or field, represented by a crowd of people all looking down at their phones or some other sorts of technological devices. The tops of the heads of those looking down, mindlessly, at their devices make up the ground being mowed, while there are some individuals scattered throughout the crowd that are looking up from their devices. It is these individuals, the ones going against what has become the new norm of integrating technology into our everyday lives, that will soon meet their untimely deaths via the lawnmower quickly approaching them. 

    As someone who has been a huge fan of Pawel Kuczynski for many years now, I am not at all surprised to see him having a negative outlook on the technology of today, or more importantly, how much of a staple technology has become in everyday life for the majority of the population. Kuczynski describes in an interview, “New technologies are wonderful achievements of humanity. I’m only worried that we turned them into the new idols. But I’m ‘old-fashioned.’ I was born long ago and my mind was formed in the old times. The world is moving forward,” (Cochran, tonyrobertcochran.com). I think that based off of this explanation, most people reading this can agree that technology becoming integrated, not just with everyday life, but in society and into humanity as a whole is not necessarily an issue. However major problems arise when technology becomes idolized. 

The second people begin relying on technology to do everything for them, or even worse, when people begin to use technology as their means of social interaction (specifically via social media, texting, or calling). Like most things in life, there is a limit or an extent to which enough is enough. Technology is an incredibly useful tool that we, as a species, are beyond lucky to have discovered and evolved, but there must be a line that distinguishes at what point technology has too big of an influence on the lives of those living in an age in which technology is a reigning, supreme force. I completely agree with the viewpoint that Kuczynski expresses through this image; technology can be a wonderful thing, but it should not become an overbearing power in society today and those who choose not to participate in or practice the new technologies related norms working their way into today’s society should not be isolated or thought lowly of for their decisions. The internet is an amazing tool, but it is also one full of misinformation and falsities. Maybe sometimes it is best to take some time away from technology and to think freely.

I think it is also very important to note the fact that Kuczynski mentions that he was born a long time ago, before the technology we have today had even started taking shape, and that the world is changing. I think that this line displays significant importance because it may be a huge part of why Kuczynski has the viewpoint that he possesses. The changing world can be scary for anyone. However, for someone that was born in the same era as Kuczynski, witnessing such a huge technological boom can be somewhat of a terrifying thing. The past 20 to 30 years have been huge in terms of technological advances and personal technology in some way shape or form making its way into just about every home in the world. And yes, Pawel Kuczynski is not too old, but having lived his most formative years in a world that did not emphasize the importance or usefulness of technology, one can see why such major integration of technology into societies across the world may be somewhat of a scary thing.