Some thoughts that came out during the workshop Techno-colonialism

On Saturday July 8th, we conducted an online workshop as part of “Cuerpxs difusxs y parentescos distribuidos” in the framework of e-cuerpo: encuentro internacional de arte y tecnología wearable.

During the workshop we had the presence of about 20 people, where we introduced the notion of technocolonialism as the intrusion of technology in a territory. But which territory has limits, which citizenship, which are its rulers?

And since technocolonialism has different dimensions, in this workshop we wanted to focus on e-waste and its social impact.

For this we have taken as a definition of e-waste the one given by the UN, which defines e-waste as any discarded product with a battery or plug, and which contains toxic and dangerous substances, such as mercury, which can pose a serious risk to human and environmental health.

After providing a series of data and information on the production of e-waste, its quantities and impacts on the food chain and health, online working groups were created, in which aspects such as the following were discussed

• How much e-waste have you generated in the last year?
• How do you think the production and use of electronic devices modifies our bodies?
• Where and who produces the electronic devices and who receives the waste?

After the group discussion, different aspects were brought up for reflection, such as planned obsolescence, the impact on mental health, change of perception of reality, lack of knowledge about the impact on the food chain and health, exploitation in the global south, where natural resources are found and therefore perpetuate conflicts and violence, investments in “green” technology with great environmental cost, such as the use and contamination of water.

After two hours of discussion, we ended by concluding the need to reflect on technological consumption, to what extent is the use of technology necessary in certain processes?, does innovation pass through the use of technology that has a negative impact on the environment?.

We hope to continue thinking about all this together with e-body in future sessions.