The Manifestation of Technology-Human Relations in Theatre: A Critical Analysis of Plays in the Context of ‘Unintended Consequences’

Technology, which has always existed in human life from the primitive tools at the beginning of human life to today’s most advanced devices, has established itself at the centre of life in today’s modern world. Technological elements have managed to take up more and more space in human life, providing people with convenience in many areas from industrialisation to communication, from healthcare to education, and form workplace technologies to entertainment. The fact that many technological products have made great contributions to their lives by enabling people to save time and effort also brings with it ‘unintended consequences’ that may arise when people use technology. American sociologist Robert K. Merton uses this term to define unanticipated outcomes of actions, decisions, and regulations. With the developments and advances of the modern era, technology has become an indispensable part and basic requirement of people’s lives, however, depending on the use of technological devices, several undesirable or unforeseen physical, psychological or social problems arise in addition to the positive effects for people. The ‘unintended consequences’ that may arise due to people’s mispositioning of technology in their lives, over-dependence on technology or inability to use technology for its intended purpose will be revealed in this study by presenting a glimpse into the lives of fictional characters. The selected plays from American theatre, Softly, and Consider the Nearness (1973) by Rosalyn Drexler and Dead Man’s Cell Phone (2007) by Sarah Ruhl, give the portrayal of the undeniable presence of technology in people’s lives, yet it is accompanied by loneliness, social alienation and isolation, non-communication, loss of trust and disruption of privacy. Through these plays, the essential presence of technology in human life will be revealed, and the question of how and where humans may position themselves within the framework of their relationship to technology will be critically examined.