Acharya Prashant explains that while technology like the internet and Google can serve as a backup, it cannot substitute for real-life interaction and spontaneous communication. He warns that relying on text messages often stems from fear and leads to a lack of authenticity and warmth compared to face-to-face conversations. He notes that texting can often be more time-consuming than a direct call, as it involves waiting and mental shadowboxing. Furthermore, he emphasizes that external knowledge from Google is not true knowing unless it becomes part of one's being and life experience. He argues that technology should be used to augment human capacity rather than handicap it. Using the analogy of a car versus a crutch, he explains that technology should further our power rather than debilitate our natural abilities. The central issue is the internal state of the user; if one is not internally free and luminous, any power or technology will be used to their own disadvantage. He uses the metaphor of a monkey with a sword to illustrate that advanced tools in the hands of an undeveloped mind lead to destruction. Acharya Prashant highlights the Vedantic question of 'Who are you?', asserting that one must be right within for any external possession to be used rightly. He cites classical villains like Ravan and Hiranyakasha, who possessed immense power, knowledge, and wealth but used them for ill because they operated from a false internal center. He concludes that because modern humanity remains internally primitive while possessing advanced technology, we are driving ourselves toward self-destruction and environmental crises like mass extinction.
