The iMom from Ariel Martin on Vimeo.

Technology has always had an unprecedented impact on society, allowing us to accomplish tasks quicker and understand the world better. But while technology may be making more information accessible to us, we are not becoming smarter. In fact, we are becoming more dependent on technology and losing our ability to function without it. In the iMom, by Ariel Martin, society has reached a point where they are more than willing to give up their humanity and responsibility for the easier path that is technological-reliance.

As photographers and artists, technology plays both a pivotal and detrimental role in our lives and careers. Some people say that the best and worst thing to happen to photography was the addition of the LCD screen on the camera body. On one hand, the LCD screen allowed photographers to see what images they were getting, make adjustments, and continue shooting. On the other hand, the LCD screen has removed the need to compose a great shot when pressing the shutter, since the shot can always be looked at and made better in the next shot.

You’ll read about how many great photographers get sick and tired of shooting on their expensive DSLR cameras, not because they aren’t getting good work, but because they aren’t necessarily bettering themselves as an artist; they’re not doing something new and unique. Many great photographers will go back to using film or older, cheaper cameras because it provides them with the artistic challenge that they so desire.

The iMom short film shows us that as technology becomes more intrusive in our lives, the ownness is placed on us to understand and fight back against the urge to become technologically-dependent.