Are the machines we’ve come to rely upon causing us to abandon our core values? Michael Bugeja explores this question in his new book, "Interpersonal Divide in the Age of the Machine."

Bugeja, professor and director of Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, does not suggest that we cut back drastically on our use of technologies like smart phones and robots. Rather, Michael Bugeja. Credit: Christopher Gannonhe urges us to be aware of the dangerous effects these technologies can have on our lives and on society as a whole.

“We are losing empathy, compassion, truth-telling, fairness and responsibility and replacing them with all these machine values. If we embed ourselves in technology, what happens to those universal principles that have stopped wars and elevated human consciousness and conscience above more primitive times in history?”

The author cites fake news as a product of the machine age. Social media constantly propagates “news.” Bugeja points out that the news we read in social media outlets reflects the individual values of the people who post and repost bits of information, rather than a wide and impartial range of viewpoints. He urges institutions of higher education to teach students how to distinguish between credible, reliable information sources, providing students with tools that give them power over technology.

Bugeja provides additional examples of areas where machines threaten our value system. Robots in the workplace often supplant humans. Even though robots can be more efficient than human labor, what becomes of the people who have lost their jobs? Some technologies, like smart phones, can be dangerous: a driver distracted by a text message or phone call might cause a traffic accident.

The book, to be published in July by Oxford University Press, challenges readers to balance their use of technology and to be aware of the potentially negative impacts machines can have on daily life.