CE Manifesto

5. The Critical Engineer recognises that each work of engineering engineers its user, proportional to that user’s dependency on it.

This tenet points out the irony especially present in modern civilization wherein technology conditions and controls the user to an extent, rather than the users exerting exclusive control over technology. This claim is interesting because it can be both dangerous and helpful. As Henry Thoreau observed, when we become the “tool of our tools”, we can lose focus on a fulfilling life. However, the Critical Engineer can also exploit this for further progress. For example, as more and more people are gaining access to mobile internet, they become more dependent on the mobile device for things like news and social connection. This dependence ensures that conveniences like satellite navigation on mobile devices will not go wasted.