Technoself studies, commonly referred to as TSS, is an interdisciplinary domain of research dealing with human identity in a technological society pioneered by Rocci Luppicini.
Despite heavy criticism, the question he posed regarding the necessary relation between the mind and body is still considered an important theme in contemporary discussions of identity and technology.
[1] The identification of the essence of human beings is frequent in philosophical circles and is a very common feature within emerging theoretical scholarship on technoself.
[6] Meanwhile, Croon Fors'[7](2012) research on the entanglement of the self and digitalization have helped frame ontological considerations related to the conceptualization of technoself studies.
Another important subject of investigation in TSS is the conception of the self in relation to the increasing reliance on the use of technologies (such as cellphones, tablets, and social media) in peoples' personal and professional lives.
[1][8] The Noeme is a term coined in 2011 by biogerontologist Marios Kyriazis,[9] and it denotes a "combination of a distinct physical brain function and that of an outsourced virtual one".
As a self-organising system it adjusts to external influences and reinvents itself in order to adapt to its environment i.e. it reproduces (self-replicates) horizontally in a process that can be termed 'noemic reproduction'.
This term, which was coined in 1960 by Manfred Clynes, refers to and acknowledges those beings whose abilities have been enhanced due to the presence and advancement of technology.
[1] Hugh Herr, an American rock climber, engineer, and biophysicist, has successfully invented the next generation of cyborg (bionic limbs and robotic prosthetics).
[13] As the head of the Media Lab's Biomechatronic group in MIT, he shared his experience and presented the team achievement first time in a TED talk show.
[14] Transhuman is a concept that emerged as a result of the transhumanist movement which is centered around the notion of improving the abilities of human beings mainly through both 'scientific and technical means.
The areas of focus in TSS are: philosophical inquiry and theoretical framing, digital identity and virtual life, human enhancement technologies, and their regulation.
[20] These scholars examine a trend in which diasporic immigrants who feel disconnected from their cultural identities have turned to digital technologies as a way to reconnect.
Anonymity also frees individuals so that they are able to behave in socially undesirable and harmful ways, which can result in forms of hate speech and cruel online behaviour.
Sherry Turkle states: "We discovered the network – the world of connectivity – to be uniquely suited to the overworked and overscheduled life it makes possible.
In addition to contributing to the advent of citizen journalism, the proliferation of sousveillance technologies has suggested a number of legal/regulatory, ethical, and social implications for democratic and consumer rights.
A dramatic illustration of these concerns comes from University of Toronto Professor Steve Mann, a privacy rights advocate and pioneering engineer of such technologies.
This led to Mann's coinage of the term "McVeillance"[33] for instances of surveillance/sousveillance double standards and to his contribution the proposal of the Mann-Wassell law[34] in the New York legislature.
[1] Furthermore, the question of access to HET, and where we draw the line between necessary therapeutic technologies, and frivolous human enhancement are being raised in TSS.
Pena and his colleagues explored a phenomenon known as the "Proteus effect" where in "avatars can prime negative attitudes and cognition in desktop virtual settings".
[45] It can be said that this unlimited freedom of anonymous expression allows for the transfer of real world suppressed emotions to the online domain.
Turkle found that the level of control over creating an online identity also extends to the intensity of connections made in such virtual spaces, as users may engage and disengage at will.
[8] Dervin and Abbas note that Turkle, in her early work was "one of the first to show how anonymity 'provides ample room for individuals to express unexplored parts of themselves' more easily than in face-to-face interaction".
According to Vasalou & Joinson, although various online forums may present people with the opportunity to create (an) alternate persona(s), they typically choose to create an avatar or represent themselves in a way that is consistent with reality: "In having equal access to everyday artifacts and fantasy options, participants were inclined to draw on existing self-views rather than grasping the opportunity to explore other personas".
Catfishing is a recent internet phenomenon, of manipulating, deceiving and luring people into relationships, through creating an online fictional persona.
New directions and opportunities in technoself research involving personalized robots and social integration of artificial creatures is becoming an increasing reality.
There are also robots for adults aimed at therapeutic (techno therapy), personal, and social applications (Paro[49] Phobot, Roxxxy, etc.).
These relationships have important implications for the future of healthcare as interactive technology increasingly replaces roles traditionally filled by humans.
According to Saner and Geelen (2012), there is one framework to guide technoself governance which distinguishes six different approaches to which emerging technologies may affect human identity: Luppicini posits that this sort of model could "prove invaluable for guiding future decision making directed at the framing of HET regulation debates, as well as leveraging strategic planning and decision making concerning HET adaption standards.
Potentially more dangerous than nukes",[54] meaning that there may be need to worry about the evolution of technology, and specifically how humans employ it to their benefit.