Abstract

The non-use of modern technology is commonly seen as a result of incompetence, lack of oppor-tunity to use technology or the poor design of technology. However, this view lacks sufficient understanding about the complexity of the issue. This paper considers non-use from the per-spective of Heidegger’s ontological work on being, together with his criticism of modern tech-nology. This paper is methodologically based on philosophical argumentation. It illustrates how non-use can be a well-informed choice as well as the basis for a deep investigation of one’s life. Rather than simply accepting modern information and communication technology as a mandatory part of life, it is possible to create a new and more individual relation with technology. This paper suggests giving attention to the ontological understanding of being (or ‘self’) in this digital era rather than blindly following the expectations commonly placed on people by others. The ontological analysis of being, together with a critical view regarding modern technology, offers a plausible framework for re-evaluating this global invasion of digitalisation to all areas of life from the perspective of an individual. Non-use is too commonly approached from an em-pirical interpretative perspective; hence, this paper enriches the literature concerning non-use by adopting a philosophical standpoint. Heidegger’s criticism of technology adds new and fresh insights to the non-use discourse by illuminating the controlling impact of technology on indi-viduals. Keywords: Digital society, Heidegger, non-use, essence of technology

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