Attention to those who can’t catch a good night’s sleep.
There are new gadgets on the market that purport to put you right to bed in 15 to 30 minutes.
And get this, one functions by disrupting brain waves via cutting edge technology. Super cool.
Immediate buy, right? Wrong. Though initially intriguing, superfluous neuro devices discretely strip away our humanity. We must ask ourselves: is it worth it to trade our autonomy for convenience as we leave humankind’s most innate behaviors up to neuro technology?
This is certainly a groundbreaking concept that can be helpful, but just because something is shiny and new does not mean it’s beneficial.
Devices like this could be used whenever and wherever the user wants, possibly making it impossible to prevent improper use. This could lead to a higher likelihood of harmful long-term changes in brain activity.
Is it worth it to use a shiny new device with potential side effects that are equally – if not more – intrusive to a person’s life and self than their sleep deficit was? No, especially not if there are more beneficial options.
There are countless traditional strategies that help induce sleep faster. For starters, humans are creatures of habit who benefit from consistent routines. Limiting electronics use, drinking chamomile tea, meditating, and practicing muscle relaxation are all common routine bedtime rituals.
While it’s so much easier to buy a device that doesn’t require any further action, this is one reason why technology is turning us into lazier, less colorful individuals. Think about how fulfilled you would feel if you dedicated 15 minutes of time to unwinding before bed. Drink some hot tea with family, read an exciting story, and play your favorite music. Your quality of life would improve while staying under your control.
There are other neuro devices serving as superfluous enhancements, especially as appearance embellishments have become popular. One of those proposed was a wearable tail to convey a user’s emotional state through expressive movements.
The most valuable freedom a person can have is cognitive liberty: the ability to think privately and freely. Even with consenting users, this freedom could be corrupted: privacy in your thoughts is nonexistent if every experienced feeling is displayed. There are endless alternative means of self expression waiting for exploration. Fashion, hairstyles, jewelry, and makeup are still changes that allow a person to externalize their current emotions through their appearance. Resorting to devices deprives consumers of the individuality they can achieve on their own.
Humans thrive through balancing independence and connectedness. Managing our alertness and sleep is part of our independence, as is having emotions and choosing when to act on them. Bedtime rituals, as well as expressing and interpreting emotions, strengthen our connectedness not only with ourselves but also the people, literature, and environment around us. These examples of sleep and emotional expression represent only a fraction of the humanity we are at risk of losing to neuro devices.
Further advancement in this field is both inspiring and inevitable, so we must also pursue individual advancement beyond the scope of technological enhancements. Independence and connectedness are all the enhancements we need to thrive.
Though neuro devices can simplify our lives, convenience is not worth losing our individuality. Think about this the next time you want to buy one of these fancy neurotechnologies – shinier doesn’t always mean better. Let’s stay human.
Audrey Botta is a student at Bucknell University, she is from Newtown, Conn.
