This blog post examines whether technological progress has positively impacted not only the convenience of human life but also mental well-being.
Since humans first began using tools, technology has advanced endlessly. Starting with the most primitive tools—stones and branches—humankind has progressively created increasingly sophisticated tools. This journey of technological advancement has not merely been about the evolution of tools; it has brought about profound changes across all aspects of human life. This has been true for the roughly 10,000 years spanning the Stone Age, Iron Age, and Industrial Age, and it will continue to be so. For instance, the use of iron in the Iron Age dramatically increased agricultural productivity, leading to population growth and urbanization. During the Industrial Revolution, the invention of machines replaced human labor, maximizing productivity and laying the foundation for the modern capitalist economy.
Such technological advancements profoundly impacted human history. Technological progress in early agrarian societies increased food production and enabled stable settled life. Furthermore, advancements in transportation overcame geographical limitations, while medical progress extended human lifespan and improved quality of life. Through technological development, humanity gradually achieved a more comfortable and secure existence. However, behind this comfortable and secure life lies another problem. Yet, it is questionable whether technological progress has truly contributed to enhancing human happiness.
Technological progress has enriched human life, yet simultaneously heightened anxiety and stress. For instance, changes in the labor environment following industrialization have caused many to lose their jobs, while the digitalization of modern society has created new problems like information overload and privacy invasion. Has technological progress made humans happier? This question is a complex issue that cannot be easily answered.
Happiness is a subjective value, and measuring it objectively remains difficult even today. Various philosophers and psychologists have debated the definition and measurement of happiness, yet a clear answer remains elusive. I believe distinguishing between psychological well-being and material well-being is crucial when measuring happiness. Psychological well-being refers to a person’s subjective feeling of happiness. Material well-being pertains to happiness presumed to stem from one’s surroundings or possessions.
I believe the most objective measurement method is the OECD’s GNH (Gross National Happiness). GNH measurement surveys factors like standard of living, leisure time usage, health, ecosystem integrity, education, community engagement, and government integrity. However, this indicator is also imperfect. But since this figure surveys material values that can make people happy, it cannot truly tell whether a person is happy. Answering whether technological progress from the past has made humanity happier is not easy. The reason is that we cannot directly survey the happiness of people from the past. Ultimately, we can only look at historical records and make educated guesses.
Generally speaking, it seems that modern people are happier than Neolithic people who lived in huts. This is likely true even when comparing them to people from later periods, not just Neolithic people.
But is that truly the case? Happiness is not some special phenomenon, but simply one result of hormonal regulation. If we consider it, there have been no major physical changes in modern humans since their emergence, so there is likely little difference between the first modern humans who appeared 20,000 years ago and humans today. According to Yuval Harari, human happiness has a certain upper and lower limit, and the degree of happiness felt by both entities is the same. Comparing someone from the past who lived happily with someone today who lives unhappily would likely show the former was happier. Ultimately, it’s not the level of technological advancement that matters, but which people in which situations we compare.
People living in unfortunate times in the past—such as during crop failures or foreign invasions—likely lived more unhappily than most modern people. Conversely, people in happy periods would have been as happy as, or even happier than, happy people today. So, are people equally happy in the past and present? What is certain is that the duration of happiness felt has increased compared to the past. The modern era boasts a larger population than any previous period, coupled with longer lifespans and lower infant mortality rates. Illnesses are mostly treatable. In other words, people can live longer and safer lives than in the past. This holds true except for some third-world countries. Since people live longer than before, the total amount of time spent feeling happy should have increased, simply put. Viewed this way, technological progress can be seen as contributing to happiness.
But even disregarding longer lifespans, if we consider whether people were equally happy over the same time period, did technological progress contribute to happiness? Most people today face no hardship in securing basic necessities like food, clothing, and shelter. Unlike the past, the number of people starving to death has drastically decreased, and industrial development allows us to buy and wear clothes at affordable prices. Life is more comfortable compared to the past. However, this cannot prove that modern people are happier than those who lived in the past. Happy people would have been happy in any era, and unhappy people would have been unhappy. So, what if we compare material happiness using objective indicators?
If we could compare the GNH of an ordinary farmer in the Joseon Dynasty to that of a modern farmer, the modern farmer’s GNH would likely be higher. As stated earlier, GNH is assessed by income level, education, health, and use of leisure time. If we set the income level of each farmer to the average income of farmers in their respective eras, the modern farmer would naturally have a higher income level. Furthermore, the modern farmer would be better educated and, due to the influence of advanced agricultural technology, would enjoy longer leisure time. The quality of leisure time is also likely to be better for the modern farmer, who has access to a wealth of entertainment options. Regarding health, the modern farmer, with better nutrition, less exposure to many diseases and parasites compared to Joseon-era farmers, and easier access to treatment, would likely fare better. While precise GNH figures cannot be compared, considering several factors suggests the modern farmer’s GNH score would likely be higher. According to GNH, the modern farmer is happier than the farmer of the past. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean modern farmers are happier psychologically.
Many people place greater value on mental happiness. The argument is that if material happiness is similar, those achieving mental happiness like self-actualization would be happier. This is a valid point. However, when comparing past and present happiness, material happiness clearly differs, so I don’t think we need to place heavy emphasis on comparing mental happiness. It’s unclear whether technological progress makes modern people psychologically happier than those in the past. As Yuval Harari argues, someone with a joyful biochemistry would be happy in any era. But if we estimate physical happiness based on the environment surrounding people, modern individuals with higher education, better health, and fewer basic survival concerns are likely happier. Mental happiness is, as the term suggests, primarily mental. Yet, if material aspects are lacking, it’s difficult to claim true happiness. To summarize, technological advancement has played a major role in enhancing material happiness. While it hasn’t made an enormous contribution to enhancing mental happiness itself, it has contributed to it to some extent through the increase in material happiness. Therefore, technological advancement has enhanced humanity’s overall happiness.
