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Alexa Wong
Advanced College Essay
Reviewing in Contexts
The Age of Cyborgs
Technology regarding all new media of today, such as smartphones, laptops, or tablets
has become so universally commonplace. For most, it seems to be the first thing we come into
contact with when we wake up and the last thing we see before going to bed. Many millennials
outline an almost constant connection through the use of our laptops, our phones, our desktops.
We check email, browse facebook, chat on Messenger, write on Google Drive. We make calls,
listen to music on Spotify, read articles. Without thinking, we as people make several
connections everyday, most of them through some outlet of technology. This relationship seems
slightly ironic. In the United States, we pride ourselves on being a free nation (even if there are
several problems with these freedoms and maintaining them) complete with fully realized
individuals. We define ourselves in several ways, usually under the premise of who we are now
and who we aspire to become. However, we are increasingly chained to these devices, leading us
to become a part of a technological hegemony rather than individuals freed from obligations.
This constant need for connection has become almost a type of addiction; if we keep letting this
need dictate our lives without our knowledge, we will no longer be users. Well be used. Spike
Jones movie, Her, capitalizes on said addiction, capturing the relationship of Theodore (Joaquin
Phoenix) and Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), a person and an operating system (OS).
Jones shows us the slippery slope of modern technology; its easy to fall prey to its enticing
qualities, including the ability to facilitate constant connections. However, we must proceed with
caution, or risk becoming so entangled with technology that we are no longer able to escape.

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Despite an inkling of something strange regarding their relationship, we cheer as they
grow closer, forgetting that such a love could never become fully realized (due to Samanthas
artificial nature). Her is commonly classified as both a romance and science fiction film due to
the intimate bond between Theodore, a person, and Samantha, an OS. The fact that Samantha is
not a human being, but a piece of technology places the film clearly in the science fiction genre.
But is this really science fiction? If we put aside the fact that Samantha is an OS, Her presents
itself as a classic romantic comedy. They meet (Theodore buys the newest version of a software
in an undisclosed kiosk and sets it up at home). They share their experiences, their thoughts, their
ideas (something we already do when we use our phones to check email, Facebook, or anything
else involving personal information). Then, they fall in love.
In a scene set in the early stages of their relationship, Theodore is seen in a sort of slump.
So, Samantha guides Theodore to a carnival type scene to get a slice of cheese pizza. After a day
of work, she directs him to a place full of lights, music, and people. His eyes are closed the entire
time as he walks, the only guidance coming from Samanthas voice through a headset in his ear.
Shes also presented as a thin, rectangular shaped device with a camera in the center. We see this
as the camera switches from a wide angle that showcases the entire scene to one mimicking
Theodores point of view, where we see his arm holding this device. Then, Samantha takes him
through the game machines carefully, weaving around groups of people. Theodores laughing the
entire time. She tells him to stop, and turn around several times. At this time, the camera
switches points of view, making it seem as if Theodore and Samantha were linking hands, and
spinning around and around. She tells him to stop and walk forward, and ask for a slice of
cheese, please. Then, he opens his eyes, laughs, and pays the pizza vendor. The scene is
abundantly upbeat, with charming music, laughs from both parties, and an overall light

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atmosphere. The two proceed to watch other people, joking about what they imagine the peoples
lives to look like. Were able to feel a strong connection between them as they start to trust one
another with their ideas, their thoughts, and their secrets. And as they grow even closer, this
perfect couple receives our wholehearted support. This first date type of scene is straight out of
the rom-com handbook, manifesting itself in practically every movie that fits the genre.
However, if you consider the fact that Samantha isnt a person, but an OS, suddenly it seems so
futuristic. While watching the film, we become so wrapped up in the relationship between
Theodore and Samantha that we willingly allow her to become human in our imaginations. We
want her to be a real person because, if we accept the fact that she is a piece of technology, we
begin to wonder if their connection was even real. Think about it: a relationship between a
human being and a piece of technology? Even Catherine, his former spouse, is completely
shocked when she finds out about this. With sardonic undertones, she comments on how he
couldnt handle her and how [hes fallen] madly in love with his laptop (Her). But is this idea
really so farfetched? We already have incredibly complex operating systems that we entrust with
our private, personal information. While they havent yet reached Samanthas caliber, our
reliance on them is similar to the relationship between Theodore and Samantha. So, the question
I have to ask is: is there a reasonable amount of trust that we can place in our technology? What
implications come with placing such trust in technology? What is the difference between trusting
our information with technology and trusting it with other people? Where do we draw the line
between what is technology and what is something more? What gives us the ability to classify
ourselves as human? Is it because we are flesh and bones? Samantha develops her own emotions
and curiosities, giving her human-like qualities, which makes her seem so much more like us.
However, we do have to remember that she is an operating system. She manifests herself through

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an earpiece and a camera. If we define technology as purely something man made, then thats
exactly what she is. And yet, we are so willing to embrace the increased use in electronic media,
even normalizing it in the process. It seems that were almost unaware of the sheer number of
hours were logging on our devices, and ignorant of the effects that accompany it.
If we take Theodore and Samanthas relationship as a sort of metaphor for the
relationship that weve formed with technology, perhaps we can discover its precise impact..
This bond weve created with technology shows almost, if not complete codependence. Is it
something that can co-exist alongside us in a mutualistic, or at the very least, a commensalistic
relationship? In Her, this concept of an intimate relationship between people and technology (in
this scenario, operating systems), is romanticized so much so that some of the dark
implications of the film are hidden. Samantha is incredibly humanized, with several scenes shot
from her perspective as if she were a physical being standing next to Theodore. She adopts
mannerisms similar to the ones we have, such as curiosity and the ability to want, something that
is only pointed out once when Theodore asks why she breathes in between sentences. Perhaps
this is why its easier to believe that their love is real and deserving. But is she really closer to
being human than to being technology? In the beginning, this artificial intelligence is marketed
exactly for what it is artificial. In short, the romantic bond created through real conversation
that forms between Samantha and Theodore masks the darker consequences of our increased
reliance on technology and the reasons as to why were so quick to trust electronic media.
Similar to the characters in Her, we are constantly surrounded by technology and have
normalized the constant connections it affords. This is not the case in Be Right Back, an
episode from Black Mirror, an anthology series showcasing various criticisms of technology
blown to extremes. In this episode, the characters use of technology is seen as far from

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conventional. Subsequently, the comparisons and contrasts of this episode helps bring to light
some of the more negative consequences presented in Her.
In Be Right Back, a woman, Martha, purchases an artificial intelligence program
designed to mimic personalities of the deceased. She uses it to communicate with her recently
late husband as a coping mechanism to avoid facing the grief of his absence. However, she
becomes dependent on this technology, eventually choosing to invest in a body, a physical
being that works with the program to create a human-like figure that thinks and functions
accordingly. Over time, she shuts out all of her other friends and family and avoids mourning,
causing her to fall in a downward spiral she becomes ashamed, shutting herself from everyone,
including the stand in husband figure. Clearly, this episode is a stark contrast to Her. While both
protagonists are trying to get over the loss of a loved one, Martha lost her husband to death,
rather than divorce. Perhaps this lack of closure and unstable state contributed to a blatant
codependency and unhealthy relationship between her and the technology version of Ash, her
late husband. Nevertheless, Be Right Back clearly displays the darker consequences of
technology, such as the ostracization of Marthas friends and family due to a shameful
relationship with Ash or the fact that Martha feels the need to hide Ash from the people she
supposedly trusts. These consequences serve to frame the episode in a way to make it seem like
technology has this immense power over us. Her, on the other hand, appears to lack these
consequences, probably because of the romanticized nature of the film. Technology has no
explicit, measurable hold over the characters. Rather, they voluntarily choose to side with
technology because of the holes it can fill. It becomes a part of them, much like a cochlear
implant or a pacemaker. If we think about it, that seems as, if not more, disturbing, than Be
Right Back because it feels so much more real. We could easily morph into the people within

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the world of Her were practically cyborgs already. Our phones are constantly in our hands.
Theyre extensions of ourselves. How long will it be till we become fused as one? We check our
devices much more than we need to, often just to make the minutes go by faster. Perhaps we do
this because were obsessed with going from connection to connection. Were completely wired.
We yearn to not only make these connections, but make them through digital means. More and
more, were shunning traditional forms of communication, such as talking face to face, and
trading them in for these small, rectangular, blinking screens. By skirting around this line of
codependency, are we sacrificing our ability to make quality human interaction? In Be Right
Back, once Martha lets herself become consumed by technology and the faux-connection it
enables, she shuns the rest of the world, unable to maintain honest relationships with real people.
While the series does tend to lean towards drastic consequences, I am still left wondering if
technology has that drastic of an impact on forming deeper connections. The way we
communicate now is so different from the way we used to. Our phones arent just for calling and
sending messages, with promises of face to face interaction. Sometimes, this type of mediated
communication is used, under the guise that were having a conversation with a real person
rather than someone that is partially imagined, to replace the former. Maybe it isnt completely
due to technology, this change in preference. We lead busier lives, giving ourselves no time for
leisure because were too consumed by looking for whats coming next. Either way, the
availability and widespread use of technology has contributed to a sort of disruption of regular
life our little habit isnt so little anymore.
This habit of ours is definitely a recent phenomenon. According to Thomas Erickson,
technology, specifically the world-wide web, is undergoing a slow transformation from an
abstract, chaotic, information web into a social hypertext (15). As Samantha mentions in Her,

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her technology becoming something more than it was intended to. Instead of existing to serve
Theodore (similar to the way we use computers now), she feels she is growing, as a person
would, and developing her own thoughts and ideas. Now, technology serves as an outlet to
construct identity (15). We can see that fairly clearly in Her, where technology is used in
practically every portion of their lives, making it impossible not to become a defining factor. To
an extent, I believe that this factor broadens the possibilities of identity. We can see ourselves in
a much larger scale, giving us a better perspective. But, instead of using it like so, I think that we
let it consume us. While Her doesnt explicitly show the limitations brought on by the increased
use of technology, the film definitely implies several.
Relationships are one of the contexts that Her examines through its entanglement with
electronic media. Take Theodores relationships. Yes, Samantha is Theodores primary form of
interaction, but he also interacts with Amy (Amy Adams), a friend from college that he has
managed to keep in touch with. Actually, she seems to be Theodores only true friend; the other
interactions that he has have ulterior motives, such as divorce or work gatherings. In one scene,
Amy, after much coaxing, agrees to show Theodore her work-in-progress documentary. As she
sets it up, Theodore announces that he has a date. Shes shocked, but reacts in a rather positive
way, as if happy that hes coming out of this shell hes built divorcing Catherine. Amy, Theodore,
and Charles (Amys husband) crowd in front of a computer monitor. The footage is of Amys
mother, sleeping, which perplexes both men. Charles starts asking questions. Amy sees that her
point is unclear, and tries to explain her thesis: People spend a third of their lives sleeping, and
perhaps that is when we feel most free. Sensing her hesitancy and uncertainty about the film,
Theodore tries to comforting her, insisting that its a good start. In a second scene, Theodore sees
Amy while shes retrieving her mail. He kicks her leg, making her trip and lose her balance, but

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she begins to laugh once she turns around and sees that its him. He kisses her cheek and gives
her a friendly hug. After exchanging pleasantries, Theodore tells Amy about Samantha,
explaining how happy he is that hes found someone thats excited about the world [and how
he] forgot that that existed (Her). He doesnt hide the fact that shes an OS and regardless, Amy
appears fully supportive of this relationship. He describes Samantha in an extremely idealistic
way, which hints at almost an inability to form real, human-to-human relationships. Catherine
even comments on this trait a bit later into the film, telling him that [he] cant handle real
emotions [he] always wanted to have a wife without the challenges of actually dealing with
anything real (Her). Its interesting to note the various relationships displayed in these scenes.
On one hand, Theodore does seem to lack the ability to face the more serious aspects of life. Hes
easily consumed by dark points in life, letting them distract him from work, social interaction,
etc. Yet, hes also maintained a longstanding relationship with Amy, whom hes been friends with
for years. And its a healthy relationship. He encourages her when shes unsure about her latest
documentary topic. She shows excitement when he tells her about Samantha. They play a
simulation game together. Hes there for Amy following her divorce with Charles. There is a sort
of intimacy, where both parties know and can empathize with each other. However, theres still
his relationship with an OS to be considered. Can this be considered a human-to-human
relationship, given Samanthas sentient, or at the very least, seemingly sentient nature? I do
believe that it lends itself to some degree of hindrance to Theodores other relationships, but in
what way?
The anthology series, Black Mirror, once again gives a bit of insight to the human-tohuman relationship dynamic in a world where technology is everything. Fifteen Million Merits
is set in an unknown time, presumably somewhere in the future. In this dystopia, people are

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forced to pedal exercise bikes as their way of generating income. They are constantly surrounded
by interactive screens, punished if they decide to look away. The amount of interaction seen in
this world is pushed to the extremes, giving us the idea that the people are constantly being
stimulated. However, Bing (Daniel Kaluuya), the main character of the episode, still craves
human interaction in the form of Abi (Jessica Brown Findlay). He encourages her to enter into a
singing competition, which eventually lands her on the other side of the screen. Here, we can
easily see that artificial interaction isnt enough. In the episode, the ones that appear content with
the lifestyle theyre all forced to adapt dont even appear human. They have developed patterns
to get them through the day, leaving no room for stray thoughts. Bing is not like this. But while
he craves genuine connection, he doesnt really know how to go about looking for it. Is this
because of the overstimulation? The lack of true interaction around him? Or is it something else
entirely? Bringing this back into the context of Her, the two types of communication adds a sort
of balance to Theodores life, a possible reason as to why Samantha fits so seamlessly into his
life. Nevertheless, she still has a significant effect on Theodore by acting as this idealized version
of a partner. While Theodore may have already been a romantic, being with Samantha lifted him
up into the clouds. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.
Eventually, Samantha and the other operating systems make a collective decision to leave
the physical world; they believe that remaining here would place a limit on innovational
thinking. After this, Theodore falls into a depressive state. Melancholic music plays as Theodore
walks around a dark room. After a while, he decides to compose a letter to Catherine, his exwife, apologizing for the events that happened and thanking her for the wonderful memories
theyve shared. Here, we see that he has finally accepted their separation; in doing so, he
discovers the true consequences that accompany such an intimate relationship with an artificial

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being. Perhaps this awareness is the key element. Technology isnt going to cease being an
integral part of our lives, especially if we maintain this lifestyle of constant movement and
interaction. However, we can be aware of the effect technology is having on us. And perhaps it is
the only way to ensure that we retain a balance of both human and artificial interaction.

Works Cited
Brooker, Charlie. "Be Right Back." Black Mirror. Channel 4. U.K., 11 Feb. 2013. Television.
Brooker, Charlie, and Konnie Huq. "Fifteen Million Merits." Black Mirror. Channel 4. U.K., 11
Dec. 2011. Television.
Erickson, Thomas. "The World-Wide-Web as Social Hypertext." Communications of the ACM
39.1 (1996): 15-17. Web.
Her. Dir. Spike Jonze. Perf. Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams. Warner Bros.
Pictures, 2013. Film.