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It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that humans are a “what you see is what you get” kind of thing; i.e. This is what we are, now deal with it.
Of course, this isn’t true at all. What you see now is not what you are going to get in the future because we are still evolving. And as long as humans exist, we will continue evolving. I’m not an evolutionary biologist, but it’s not too difficult to see this playing out in real time.
People used to have to remember (or figure out) how to navigate unfamiliar geography — how to get from A to Z. I know, because in another century, I drove a cab in Boston. If I had to do that today, I’d fail. My brain has now evolved to use GPS technology.
I’ve often thought that although smartphones aren’t actually physically attached to us, they’ve still become a kind of appendage. When was the last time you didn’t have your phone at arm’s reach? We are clearly evolving to merge with technology; how that plays out is anyone’s guess. But make no mistake, it’s happening.
Our environment spurs evolutionary changes. If something gives our species an edge, we’ll evolve to incorporate it into our biology, if possible. But biology can’t change quickly enough to keep up, so we’re using technology to help us.
The species is moving forward whether you like it or not. To deny it is to be left behind.