The Impact of Information Technology: Learning, Living, and Loving in the Future
Tomas Lombardo
Rio Salado College

Introduction
A popular theory and explanation of the contemporary changes occurring around us is that we are in the midst of a third major revolution in human civilization, i.e., a Third Wave (Toffler, 1980, 1990; Toffler and Toffler, 1994, 1995; Cornish, 1996; Bell, 1973, 1996; Naisbitt, 1982; Negroponte, 1995). First there was the Agricultural Revolution, then the Industrial Revolution, and now we are in the Information Revolution. Yet are we, in fact, in the middle of a revolutionary jump? Are we seeing and living through a continuous or a discontinuous change in human society? (Kuhn, 1962; Zey, 1993; Kelly, 1994) And even if the present era embodies a fundamental change, is the rise of information technology and all its associated effects the key dimension of change in this fundamental societal transformation? It can be argued that a shift in the economy and professions is moving us from a materialistic and physical reality to more of a mental and informational reality - our professional life and source of wealth has become knowledge rather than physical capital - our jobs have become mental intensive rather than physical intensive. (Drucker, 1993; Bell, 1996) Still, information and communication technology and a world wide system of information exchange has been building growing for over a hundred years and physical technology and industry is not slowing down in growth - rather it is accelerating. (Kelly, 1994; Zey, 1993) Perhaps, the fundamental change is from a Newtonian Clock Model of the universe, technology, and human society to a Mental/Computational Model. (Ackoff, 1993)

I would suggest that society is, in fact, transforming in a fundamental way, but the Information Revolution is only part of a more general phenomena involving multiple and interdependent causes, including human values, ways of life, culture, science, politics, and economy. Accelerative change is upon us and it is permeating the entire fabric of human existence. (Toffler, 1971; Henderson, 1991; Wishard, 1996a, 1996b; Snyder, 1996) This wholistic revolution is creating chaos, unrest, numerous social problems and a reorganization of human life. Economy, society, education, religion, psychology, science, and technology are all changing, since they are all reciprocally interconnected. What I am going to highlight in this paper is information technology and connected societal changes and how our lives ("Learning, Living, and Loving") will be possibly effected by changes in this dimension of reality in the future, but we will see that effects ripple outward, intertwine, and cross-fertilize through the entire fabric of human life.

Information Technology
Within our times, as through all of human history, humanity and technology evolve reciprocally. Changes and advances in one sphere instigate and support changes in the other sphere, and vice versa. We have a classic fear of technology - that it will rob us of our humanity - yet our humanity is to a great extent is built and maintained by technology. (Lombardo, 1996) Further and more generally, we are witnessing an integration of the "Born" (the biological) and the "Made" (machines) in the modern world of medicine, ecology, and biotechnology. (Kelly, 1994) In particular, information and communication technology is infusing into human reality at all levels of analysis and function - there are personal computers, business and social networks, servers, browsers, providers, telecommunication systems, computerized industry and products, and the Internet - the biggest machine ever built. The Internet and the World Wide Web are literally evolving into the nervous system of human civilization.

As H.G. Wells predicted, a Global Brain and a Global Mind are developing. As Teilhard de Chardin (1959) prophetized, a Noosphere - a global mentality - is enveloping the earth. Embedded within this system, a World Library and a World University are emerging. (Rossman, 1993) Will this global system transcend the limits of the human mind? Will it eventually move beyond the grasp of even our collective intelligence? (Maybe it already has?) What will be its emergent principles of cognitive organization? (Bugliarello, 1984) It has been argued that this global system, integrated and supported by human biological life, constitutes a new life form -- a "Metaman". (Stock, 1993) This global system is not simply being layered on top of existing structures, but is being infused into the human environment. Our environment is becoming increasingly intelligent, flexible, and computerized. The home, the automobile, the transportation system, urban centers, industry, and businesses, commercial, and service centers and networks are being "wired" and progressively integrated. This system is even moving into the "natural environment", regulating and monitoring ecosystems and resources ; the blurring of the distinction between the "Born" and the "Made" will include the entirety of the earth - Gaia is being "wired".

Society
Given the reciprocity of the technology and humanity, we should expect to see concomitant evolutionary developments in human life and social systems as this global technological system evolves. In fact, we are witnessing the emergence of a global society, increasing integrated through the world wide communication network and a global economy. World wide social networks, special interest groups, and business confederations are being knit together through mutual and interdependent needs.

Yet this global society clearly transcends in human diversity any human society in history. Although there are the "Have's and the Have Not's" regarding technology and technical know how, the Internet and the World Wide Web, the global open market and pop culture, and the Information Age economy is quickly spreading throughout the world. (Stock, 1993; Toffler, 1990; Centron and Davies, 1991) More and more of us are being exposed to more and more human diversity. Post-Modernism, cultural relativism, and economic and political democracy have become the central philosophies of this global society. (Fukuyama, 1992) One of the most interesting aspects of the global society is that as it spreads and integrates, it increasingly empowers individuals and unique and diverse elements of the human population. (Naisbitt, 1994) We are witnessing the reciprocal evolution of individuality and social integration. (Stock, 1993; Zohar and Marshall, 1994; Lombardo, 1996)

The global society is grounded in an information economy. Our economy centers around the production, distribution, organization, and utilization of information and knowledge. (Drucker, 1993; Bell, 1996) The educational system no longer has a monopoly on teaching, research, and learning - everyone is becoming involved. Since the information economy is supported technologically through the Internet and the global communication system, i.e., the World Brain/World Mind, it stands to reason that increasingly in the future more and more of us will find our main source of employment working within the World Brain/World Mind.

As an integral dimension of this new society, the network nature of the Internet is paralleled at the social level by a new set of values and principles of social organization. As noted earlier, the Newtonian model of human existence and nature is disappearing. A network model is replacing it. The Internet is a network rather than a hierarchy. Networks exhibit a bottom-up, distributed power organization. (Kelly, 1994) Grass roots movements are emerging all over the world. (Henderson, 1991) Businesses are attempting to move toward a philosophy of networks and the associated Post-Newtonian "New Science" principles of self-organization, open systems, and order through chaos. (Wheatley, 1992; Prigogine, 1984; Davies, 1988)

Technology and society intertwine. As we are moving from an Industrial Age into a new era, not only is our technology transforming, but our social values, principles of social organization, and philosophy of life is changing as well. It is undoubtedly a "Chicken and the Egg" question regarding which dimension of reality is instigating the change. Is Marx correct that matter moves mind, or is Hegel correct that mind moves matter? As I proposed above, the answer is a co-evolutionary reciprocity.

Education
As noted above, since the global economy is increasingly concerned with marketing and selling information and knowledge and the technological support systems for this activity, the traditional educational system, i.e., schools, colleges, universities, no longer has a monopoly on education. From one perspective, educators could see themselves in competition with business, yet it is also possible that a more cooperative attitude could emerge between the educational and business systems. Either way, the time of an isolated, insulated, and ivory tower educational system is coming to an end. (London,1987) To bring the point home, since we are in the midst of a information/knowledge explosion and a period of accelerative change, learning and the management of information have become primary concerns for both individuals and organizations. (Drucker, 1993)

Because society's concern increasingly emphasizes the importance of learning, information, and knowledge, the educated person will become more socially respected and revered in the future. (Drucker, 1993) With the emergence of an open systems approach to reality and human society, a broad understanding of the interconnections among different spheres of human life will be essential. The Newtonian emphasis on analysis, specialization, and the compartmentalization of jobs and functions is giving way to a wholistic view of life. (Ackoff, 1993; Henderson, 1991; Capra, 1983; Tarnas, 1991; Senge, 1991)

In the future, the World Brain/World Mind system will become the central educational system. Education will be techno-activated and highly responsive and flexible to the learner. Learning and teaching will be multi-media and interactive. Entertainment and education will integrate into edutainment. As both the sender and receiver ends of this technological system become more intelligent, the learner will increasingly be able to make individualized and informed selections of what he or she needs to learn and the system will become more active in personalizing the learning experience. (Negroponte, 1995; Appleberry, 1994; Halal and Leibowitz, 1994; Burke, 1994)

The Newtonian - Industrial Age model of reality emphasized hierarchal control. (Wheatley, 1992; Henderson, 1991) Within the traditional educational system the teacher was viewed as the authority and center of control of the learning experience. With the increased importance and presence of human diversity within the global society and the rise of an interactive - network view of reality, our model of teaching and learning needs to change. Teachers do not simply recite ideas in the classroom - they think and explore within the classroom and they learn from the students. Students do not simply memorize "truths" - they need to contribute and participate. The World Brain/World Mind system will be highly interactive. In fact, if we envision the computer as a teacher, then it will become increasingly personalized, intelligent, and interactive with the user - it will not simply provide "data". It will ask questions and guide.

Psychology and the Human Mind
I have already noted that we are in the midst of an information and knowledge explosion. More generally, as Toffler and others have pointed out, we are in a period of accelerative change in all aspects of human life. (Russell, 1992) Post-Modern philosophy, the exposure to increased diversity and different points of view, and the general lack of security in jobs, family, and human values are also unsettling our psychological equilibrium. Humanity is being challenged to constructively deal with these changes. We are under stress - to use a phrase from Kelly (1994) things seem "Out of Control".

We should not make the common mistake that the future will contain great technological and even social advances without there being any corresponding changes in the human mind and human personality. We are having to evolve and change. We are in a period of psychological evolution. (Lombardo, 1996; Csikszentmihalyi, 1993)

Yet in this time of greater uncertainty and change, as individuals we are becoming more empowered to create a unique personal and professional niche for ourselves. (Naisbitt, 1994; Fukuyama, 1992; Henderson, 1991) More and more of us are moving in the direction of independent contractors - throughout the world economic and political democracy is on the rise - the Internet is providing the opportunity to connect and communicate with people of similar interests and needs - and the emergence of the World Brain/World Mind is making selective and personalized education and learning available to more people. As Naisbitt and Aburdene note, we are witnessing, as the fundamental trend of our times, the "Triumph of the Individual" (1990). At the technological level, increasing personal control and selection is evolving in our interface with the global communication, entertainment, and education resources on the Web and in the mass media. (Negroponte, 1995)

Individuality is, itself, diversifying, enriching, and evolving. The World Wide Web provides the opportunity for individuals to take on different "persona" or "selves". (McCorduck, 1996) A singular and consistent human self is giving way to multiple selves. The stable self is becoming "the evolving self" (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993). The possible emergence of "agents" -- active, intelligent, and personalized programs the interface between the individual and the World Brain/World Mind - will complicate the self even more. (Negroponte, 1995) Imagine holographic electronic persona that grow and evolve with people through life, handling business and professional matters, monitoring the home, doing research on the Web, and in general, becoming like alter egos. The self will become more like a community or cooperative - the "Born and the Made" will integrate at the psychological level. Personal identity will become distributed and infused into the computer - communication system. The family will have electronic "Nannies", "Therapists", "Butlers", and "Housekeepers".

And to push the argument one step further, information technology should eventually support a level of human intimacy and empathy way beyond today. The World Mind should support the development of "collective minds". Virtual reality will be the telephone of tomorrow (Rucker, Sirius, and Queen Mu, 1992). Through electronic and neurological hook-ups, we should be able to share our most vivid and imaginative visions, thoughts, feelings, and perceptions with each other.

Culture and Philosophy
There is a new ontology, epistemology, and culture emerging within our world. (Heim, 1993; Taylor and Saarinen, 1994; Tarnas, 1991; Zohar and Marshall, 1994). The Internet is a network and the simple hierarchy of values, concepts, and principles of the past is giving way to a maze of interconnected ideas - life is a hypertext with no beginning, no center, no final resolution. The book is dead. The song is never finished. The image has become more powerful than the word. Abstract and objective logic has given way to complimentarity, intuition, the Yin-Yang, participatory knowledge, and "idea arrays". Virtual reality opens up the possibility of evolving to a different type of reality, in which we have more control, flexibility, and options - the term "virtual" may be a one hundred and eighty degree misnomer. (Tipler, 1994; Heim, 1993) How do we indeed define the nature of ultimate reality? (Smullyan, 1983)

Information technology and the emergence of a global society is potentially instigating a new cultural renaissance. (Lombardo, 1996) Through virtual reality and telecommunications we are increasingly able to live and participate within history. We can explore the universe. And the power of personal computers and the World Brain/World Mind is affording the opportunity for personal artistic creation to a growing population. Though we may deeply appreciate the works of art and music of the great masters of the past, computer art and electronic music already exceeds traditional masterpieces along many dimensions. Fractal art is an amazing phenomena, and computer animation easily transcends any earlier form of animation for realism, imagination, and brilliance.

Criticisms and Conclusions
It can be argued that information technology robs individuals of personal contact. The Internet hides rather than reveals - the computer is a drug which hypnotizes the mind and numbs the body. Also, we may fear being swallowed up and lost within the emerging World Brain/World Mind system. What if "It" takes control - the classic fear of technology. The Information Age theory of the future can be seen as too commercialized, too growth oriented, too technological in emphasis, and too rationalistic and cognitive - we talk incessantly about "bits" and "information", but what about feelings and values? (Henderson, 1991; Theobald, 1992; Lombardo, 1996)

I think that all of these criticisms have some degree of validity, and are clearly warnings we should keep in mind as we participate in the creation of tomorrow. Even if mind does not control matter as Newton believed, mind should lead matter. The center of our universe needs to be the human heart, humanistic and spiritual values, and respect and knowledge of our fellow humans, rather than the keyboard and the menu bar. Technology may infuse into nature, but we need to understand that technology is part of nature, rather than above it. In the final analysis, information technology and the Information Age agenda is only part of a more general transformation in human civilization - all the pieces of this "Third Revolution" are equally important.

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