Tech and religion are very much alike
They both have gods, rich institutions and secretive cultures
“ENTIRE SUBWAY CAR mesmerised by small gizmo clutched in hand. Some sort of worship?” The tweet by Joyce Carol Oates in 2019, alongside a photo of riders holding mobile phones, as if in prayer, neatly captures the way that society holds technology sacred. Most people check their phones on waking and just before sleeping (and glance at the screen throughout the day), replacing an earlier generations’ ritual of prayers.
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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Valley and the gods”
From the November 23rd 2024 edition
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