Observations about our dependency on technology and Freud’s psychoanalytic theory

Tonight I had a dream, nay, a nightmare, that my friend was somehow dropping my computer into the ocean. I started crying hysterically during the dream, but nobody seemed to understand why. I was trying to tell everyone around me that my computer contained all the essential information about my classes, extracurriculars, essays, personal information, and so on; I was desperately trying to convince everyone that my friend had dropped my computer into the ocean was the single-worst thing that could have happened. By the way, this “friend” is someone I haven’t spoken to in about two years because we simply aren’t that close. The reason as to why I’m mentioning this will be clearer further in this post.

Yet nobody seemed to believe or even understand me. And what’s interesting is that once I woke up, I saw that I had cried real tears. My face was wet and my eyes were foggy because not only had I cried in my dream because I thought I had lost my computer, I had cried in real life. How affected I was by this possible loss of technology (not even technology, simply my computer) got me thinking.

Our dreams and their implications for our lives, or in short psychoanalysis, truly fascinates me. I try to read into it, and learn about it, as much as possible. For those that don’t know, the “father of psychology”, Sigmund Freud, suggested that every dream has a meaning. It doesn’t necessarily have to be significant, but every single dream has, to some degree, significance. And psychoanalysis refers to our maladaptive or subconscious processes of thinking that influence our decisions and our everyday lives, to which dreaming is an example.

After some thinking, here is the conclusion that I came to (and do feel free to write your interpretations!): Before this section, though, I just need to define a concept. Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is the theory of the id, ego and superego. The id is the primitive and impulsive part of the mind; it contains very primal emotions and actions like our sexual desires, hunger, aggression; things that are hereditary and essential to our survival. It’s believed that the first humans had a very strong id and a weak superego. The superego is “the tip of the iceberg”- it’s the part of our brain that tells us how to act in social contexts, what’s acceptable to wear to a job interview and a date and so on. It rewards (which manifest themselves as satisfaction and pride) or punishes (which manifests themselves as shame and guilt) us. The ego is somewhere in between these two, Freud defined it as “the part of the id which has been modified by the direct influence of the outside world”. This is a very simplified explanation, though, and more can be learned from here. Now that we have defined our terms, here is my interpretation:

Since I wasn’t close with this person that dropped my computer, nor with the people surrounding us, I can’t know what these people would have actually thought if something like this were to ever happen. If the person dropping my computer was my sister, for example, I would be able to predict her behavior pretty well, and thus there would be less space left for my subconscious to step in. But since I had nearly no clue what this person would say, or how the people surrounding us would react (whether they would defend her or support me), their reactions are more rooted in my subconscious. So my reaction, the me in the dream, is my id. It’s the part that behaves impulsively, that doesn’t recognize, or rather doesn’t care, that it’s unacceptable to throw a tantrum when you’re way past being a kid. And the people surrounding me are my various superegoes. The ones that are judging me and trying to make me recognize that I’m being ridiculous. This also goes on to show how since the id is extremely primal and ancient, we only have one of it; and since the superego developed with the development of civilization, it can manifest itself in multiple ways in multiple different contexts.

This dream also, as the title suggests, portray my dependency on technology. Perhaps the reason why this dream took place now and not during exam season when I simply never log off or even close my computer; is because even during what’s supposed to be a student’s time of rest and relaxation (summer break), I am bound to my computer. My friends and I went down to the beach yesterday, and even then, I felt the urge to bring my computer because “What if something important happens?” “What if I get an email?” and so on. This paranoia is consuming me, and even taking over my dreams.

I don’t really know what to get from this dream. Because fundamentally, it shows me is that I need less screen time. But I simply can’t do that. Even in order to be able to do the things I love, like writing to my blog, I have to have screen time. So perhaps the conclusion to derive is that rather than needing less screen time, we need less stressful screen time (hours spent listening to lectures, completing assignments etc.)

So try to limit your screen time today, and have a nice day! Enjoy the environment around you, read a book, write your blog post onto your journal rather than your computer. But most importantly, don’t drop your computer into the ocean and let your id take over. 🙂