Within only the last few decades, technology has evolved in a plethora of ways. The creation of smartphones, the internet, and much more, has impacted the everyday life of billions of people around the world. There are even some people who depend on it. Technology is to be credited for survivability rates in hospitals, giving us the ability to do things humans previously couldn’t. Paralyzed people are now able to move and talk on their own with electric wheelchairs. Now, even those who have lost limbs are able to get them replaced with robotic ones. In a way, the internet can be considered the superior alternative to books. The internet has an almost never-ending database and is much more efficient/accessible than books. Now, does this mean the same for our human bodies since technology has proven to have superior potential? Throughout humanity, our species have always innovated our surroundings to make our everyday lives easier, but what if we were to innovate within ourselves? There are limits to the human body; limits in strength, mobility, and more. These limitations couldn’t be surpassed, until now. Prosthetic limbs are now improving and becoming more available. They may even become the alternative to our everyday bodies. Will our old human bodies, full of limitations, become obsolete? 

To start, let’s talk about the benefits of prosthetic limbs for the less fortunate. This 

includes those whose limbs don’t function properly, or are completely missing them. People would design these to end the struggle of those who need them. Most of these people just want a normal body, which is why the goal for these engineers is to construct limbs that are as human-like as possible. Although most amputees are older (65 years and up), the majority of young amputees often play sports. “it appears that between 11% and 61% of individuals with lower-limb amputations participate in sports and/or physical activities” () Despite not having lower limbs, many of these strong individuals still are determined to live the life they always wanted to, and stay in shape. This is why it is so important to make these prosthetics the best they can be so everyone has a fair chance at life. It is not only important to make them accessible, but innovative and affordable as well. 

Allowing prosthetic limbs to act as regular limbs do is challenging. There are many experiments and tests done in order to make sure prosthetics are used correctly. Engineers try to reach realism within their prosthetic models so that it feels natural to the user. In earlier attempts prior to the latest models, they faced challenges when creating them. “We developed a fragile object (referred to as the fragile object simulator or FOS) that “breaks” suddenly in response to

being squeezed with a force exceeding the object’s structural capacity”(Lum, 2). There were many calculations that go into these prosthetics so that people can control them properly. Within the same article, it covers the various tests that were run on these devices. These tests ranged from acts of motion, to how frequently amputees decided to use them, and if they were effective at their intended tasks. 

These tests ranged from acts of motion, to how frequently amputees decided to use them, and if they were effective at their intended tasks. “there was no clear relationship between frequency of use and accuracy of internal models. For example, subject CT never dropped or broke the device; however, she was only an occasional user”(Lum, 7). If these limbs are to be used every day, then they must be ready to face the tasks of everyday life. They will eventually be utilized by their owners, as often as someone without prosthetics would use their natural arm. Stress tests are important, and it is even more critical that these engineers are able to manipulate their product in a way in which it would be as close to actual arms, so that the user cannot harm to, but also be able to participate in their environment.

Lower body limbs are also commonly used and innovated as well. Just as much effort goes into these as upper body limbs get. Like the upper body limbs, the legs have to be run through many trials in order to be sure that they are reliable pieces of equipment. Not only this but the studies that were done by the World Congress of the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics decided to use a variety of people with a variety of issues. “Inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) aged ≥18 years; (2) amputation between the hip and ankle; (3) amputation due to trauma, dysvascular complications, tumor, or infection…(Hafner, para. 11). As you can see, they performed these tests with those of different reasons of amputation, along with different age groups.

The progression of prosthetic limbs seems slow, but in fact has been moving at a much better pace than expected. Although there has been much trial and error as discussed in the previous paragraph, there are still remarkable things being done that are astonishing to see. For instance, prosthetic limbs were unable to be felt through their users. In order to make prosthetic limbs as realistic as possible, they would have to have the sense of touch like a natural limb. “Force sensors located in the thumb of the prosthesis measure contact and pressure applied to an object while grasping. This information is transmitted to the patients’ nerves leading to their brains. Patients can thus feel when they are touching an object, its characteristics, and how hard they are pressing it” (Chalmers University of Technology, para. 6). This article was only written in the year 2020, indicating that this technology is quite recent. Sadly, because of how recent it is, it will still need more work done, as well as a way to make it affordable. Current prosthetic limbs already go for many thousands of dollars.

As you age, your body becomes weaker. Becoming old makes it much harder to move due to joint pain. There is a possible solution to this though, which would be joint replacement surgery. This process is quite complex at the moment since it requires the replication of human joints. “Overall clinical results were satisfactory and the main complications included infection (6%), loosening (4.6%), and component disengagement (14.6%)” (Revell, 613). With a small percentage of error, and the probability of this technology improving, joint replacement is definitely worth it. It allows for old age to be less limiting, and more enjoyable by making people feel as if they were young again. Almost all elderly people are unable to move like they used to which is why this can be something for everyone and not just amputees. 

Aging is unavoidable, which is why the content within the previous paragraph would apply to everyone. Many people try to combat aging with exercise, diet changes, and sunscreen, however, our bodies still have to change regardless. Nobody wants to be limited or in pain during their elderly years, which is why joint replacement and prosthetic limbs may become the norm for most people. It would be an instantaneous and effective way to combat old age, helping to extend your lifespan. Since it is possible this can become common to do while you’re older, it can be the gateway to normalize body alterations similar to this out of convenience. Such body alterations include microchip implants, which some people already have to be more efficient. “Österlund’s Biohax is aiming to simplify identity and access in the digital world, offering a replacement to the seemingly endless collection of passwords, keys, tickets, cards that clutter our lives” (Schwartz, para. 16). A big part of innovation is about having less of something that can do more. An example of this would be how computers were at one point very massive, and now they are able to be condensed down into the size of a smartphone. The same goes for chip implants, they are tiny and are able to achieve a variety of tasks making them very efficient and effective. They are also convenient since they do not take up any space, and it is impossible to lose them.

Prosthetic limbs and these body alterations do have a chance to affect information literacy. The degree to which these platforms of information literacy are affected depends on the direction people will take prosthetic limbs and body alterations. Information literacy would be improved regardless of the direction it gets taken towards. By having fully functional prosthetic limbs, those who were once limited are now able to experience the world to its fullest, along with receiving information. On the other hand, if people were to take these prosthetics in the direction of a multi-use tool rather than just a limb, then information literacy would increase astronomically. For instance, if we were to implant a prosthetic device into prosthetics/or arms that acted similar to a smartphone, information would be spread to more people faster and more efficiently. It would also be very beneficial for humans in that they would be able to do various other tasks on it in order to make the most out of their time during the day. 

If prosthetic limbs became more than just prosthetic limbs, (similar to how cell phones became smartphones) then we are at a greater risk of losing our humanity, and possibly our freedom. By having this technology implanted within us, it is possible for our beings to be tracked and monitored, similar to George Orwell’s 1984. “There were no telescreens, of course, but there was always the danger of concealed microphones by which your voice might be picked up and recognized” (Orwell, 117). There is a struggle for privacy within the world of 1984 due to their advanced and widespread technology. Even though telescreens are not attached to people, they are always around, and always watching. Although both the utopia within 1984 and the production of prosthetics are attempting to be perfect, they could be made “perfect” for the advantage of those in power.

Prosthetic limbs may become the solution to prolonged life. Worldwide affordability of this technology would be a pivotal turn in human history. Our species had always tried to find ways to make our time on earth longer and more comfortable. This would be the next level of that trend. We may let technology restore our physical bodies, but we must do it safely in order to not end up like 1984.  Thinking of this progressive trend, how much can we achieve while still preserving our humanity? 

 

Works Cited

 

Joint Replacement Book –Joint Replacement Technology, edited by Peter A. Revell, Elsevier Science & Technology, 2014. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com. libdatabase. newpaltz.edu/lib/newpaltz-ebooks/detail.action?docID=1713972.

Grasping Objects Article – Lum, Peter S., et al. “Internal Models of Upper Limb Prosthesis Users When Grasping and Lifting a Fragile Object with Their Prosthetic Limb.” Experimental Brain Research, vol. 232, no. 12, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2014, pp. 3785–95, doi:10.1007/s00221-014-4071-1.

Lower Limb Article – Hafner, Brian J., et al. “Construct Validity of the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M) in Adults With Lower Limb Amputation.” Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, vol. 98, no. 2, Elsevier Inc, 2016, pp. 277–85, doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2016.07.026.

Nervous System and Prosthetics – Chalmers University of Technology. “Mind-controlled arm prostheses that ‘feel’ are now a part of everyday life.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 April 2020. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200430110321.htm>.

Microchipping Article -Schwartz, Oscar. “The Rise of Microchipping: Are We Ready for Technology to Get under the Skin?” The Guardian, 11 Nov. 2019, www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/08/the-rise-of-microchipping-are-we-ready-for-technology-to-get-under-the-skin.

Amputees and Sport – Bragaru, Mihail, et al. “Amputees and Sports: a Systematic Review.” Sports Medicine (Auckland), vol. 41, no. 9, Springer International Publishing, 2011, pp. 721–40, doi:10.2165/11590420-000000000-00000.

1984 – Orwell, George. 1984. 60th Anniversary, Berkley, 1983.