Steffen Steinert's "Technology is a Laughing Matter," examines how humour can expose the unforeseen

side-effects of technology. Technology is a laughing matter makes use of the concept of Henri Bergson
that humor comes when; “something mechanical is encrusted on the living…” (Bergson 1914: 37) (Steinert,
2015). Think of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times movie, where comedy is the driving force behind a
critique of industrialized society.

Modern Times - Charles Chaplin (The Industrial age through Ironical eye) There is one great scene with
Chaplin as the Tramp working on an assembly line. Forced to move like a robot, the conveyor belt speed
is relentless, and he has a break down. This moment encapsulates the irony that technology, in a bid to
make life more efficient, could actually dehumanize every person by turning them into mere cells within
a system.
Chaplin goes on to make a commentary about technology with the feeding machine. Intended to boost
productivity by feeding workers as they work, the machine goes haywire in a delirious and comedic
sequence that involves Chaplin getting fed and hit with food. This joke is a good example of how
ridiculous our dependence on technology can become and just how badly we can mess up when the
machines that are supposed to be helping us give up working properly. Returning to Steinert, he argues
similarly that humor " facilitate new ways of thinking about our technological culture” (Steinert, 2015)
A last pivotal scene in Modern Times occurs when Chaplin is falsely arrested for instigating a strike
among his fellow workers. Since the law officers in their use of mechanical enforcement methods have
been unable to determine that he is a leader and not an agitator they then arrest him for carrying a
protest sign. This depiction of individual autonomy trapped underneath layers of technology and
bureaucracy shows how by quantifying people on superficial traits they cannot help but act as an
automaton instead of rational beings who deserve respect for their actions and intentions.
In these gags, Chaplin humorously exposes the other side of technology: its inhumanity, breakdowns and
irrational conclusions. Because he wraps his critiques in comedy, it is easier for the viewer to see how
technological advancements could potentially affect their own future. It is this idea with which Chaplin
would most likely agree that humor helps us view our behavior as though from an outsider, making room
for self-criticism to offset over-empowerment by technology.

Steinert, S. (2015). Technology is a laughing matter: Bergson, the comic and technology. AI & Society,
32(2), 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-015-0612-9