Wired: The Role of Disability in a World Gone Digital

A while ago I wrote a brief blog post that discussed a brain/computer comparison. Today, I’d like to expand on that idea and talk about disability in the digital world.

Note: I might go full nerd here.

In 1967, Marshall McLuhan suggested that electric circuitry is an extension of our nervous system (The Medium is the Massage). He also suggested, in The Gutenberg Galaxy, that the next form of medium would be an extension of consciousness. He wrote this in 1962. I think it’s safe to say that this new medium has, at least partially, arrived in the form of the internet. Now, before I go all Annie Hall on everyone (remember that scene with that annoying guy talking about McLuhan?) I’ll stop writing about things that require citation.

When McLuhan wrote what he did, I suspect he was thinking metaphorically. Interestingly, this might not be the case anymore or in the near future. Electric circuitry is already literally an extension of our nervous systems in the form of advanced prosthetics that respond to brain signals.

But consciousness? I don’t think we’re quite there yet.

Let’s pretend we are. Let’s pretend we live in a world where people can upload their consciousness (lame Johnny Deep movie about that I believe) or that we live in an entirely virtual world by syncing our brains to a virtual self.

What about disability then? When we are freed from physical disability by way of virtual avatars, how will we, as a society, react to mental disability? Will it be more noticeable? Even more stigmatized? Will we, the mentally disadvantaged, (because I do consider epilepsy at least partially a mental disorder) be further singled out due to the fact that our disabilities transcend the medium into which we exist?

If we exist in a purely visually constructed world, how can we mask the complications of mental disability? I suspect we can’t. If we could, I think YouTube would have already figured out how to block assholes from posting comments. Of course I am not comparing mental disability to asshole-ness (as a writer I have full power to create new words by the way). I’m just saying that cognitive abilities, disabilities, or general asshole-ness are harder to mask in a setting that harbors physical anonymity.

When anyone can alter their appearance to anything they want, physical attraction will go out the window. It will be of less importance than personality (money might still work it’s way in there though). I for one, think this would be a great step forward. When we can’t be judged by our weight, skin color, gender, or anything else physical, the world might be a better place (with the exception of the YouTube assholes of course). But, being people, we will inevitably find ways to discriminate against each other.  

I think I’ve been asking myself the wrong question. Instead of “how do we mask it?” I need to ask, “should we mask it?”

If we abandon our physical bodies in favor of a virtual one, and then proceed to abandon our mental selves in favor of a more socially acceptable state of mind, we will all be zombies. Instead, we should stop thinking of mental disability as something negative. Just because you are unable to do something, doesn’t mean you are worth less. I know this is not news to anyone reading this, but I fear that the further we delve into physical modification, whether it be through prosthetics or digital avatars, the social attitude toward mental disability will change. Hopefully, it will be for the better. Hopefully, we can embrace differences in mental capabilities. Only then can we truly call ourselves tolerant.

And if you’re still an asshole, then you can go build your own virtual world.