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In what sense are contemporary humans ontologically different from those of the recent past?

Biologically, humans today are nearly identical to those from centuries ago. Yet our daily experience seems radically different due to digital technologies, global information flows, and shifting notions of identity and privacy. I want to understand whether this represents a superficial cultural change or a deeper ontological transformation in how humans exist and relate to the world.

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By Arjun Bijlani Answered 1 year ago


From my experience studying social ontology and technology, I have seen that the most profound change is not biological but existential. Contemporary humans inhabit a reality continuously mediated by screens, data, and algorithmic systems. I would recommend understanding this as a shift in being-in-the-world rather than a mere lifestyle change. Our sense of presence, memory, identity, and community is structurally altered by digital environments. This creates new forms of social existence and vulnerability, making today’s human condition ontologically distinct from that of even the recent past.
 
 
 

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