A modern love story?

What happens in a world where a robot is your best friend or your partner? Spike Jonze delves into the “romantic” world of technology and humans. There are two sides revealed in Her: scared or cautious. Jonze shows the need for human connection whether it be from human connection or technological connection. The matter is, connection is what heals an individual. The need for any type of connection is what makes humans human. Theodore, the main character has recently ended a relationship where he needs a new connection — this connection is from a robot, an OS called Samantha.

Does technology adapt to you?

Samantha, the OS and Theo’s new partner has an ability humans cannot achieve. She customizes her personality to fit what the user will like most. There is a sense of freedom and autonomy given to this tangible being. Throughout the movie, Sam adapts to each person she meets — making them laugh or feel loved just by the way she is programmed. This self-governance that Sam has creates the feeling of realness in ways never thought possible. She can love. She can hate. She can do all the things a human can do but better.

When should there be a line drawn?

Is technology a tool or a friend?

Her shows a somewhat futuristic world where technology is now your friend. What once was a tool used for basic needs is now fulfilling the requirements of a friend or lover. Theo is enamored with Sam. He becomes reliant on her. The main purpose of technology was to assist humans with daily functions — making life easier and anything more accessible. The internet is a place to meet people and find information. This twist on technology makes technology more human-like than anything. Sam helped Theo grow after his marriage failed. He was happy with the help of an OS system.

This begs the question: is technology hurting us or helping us? To an extent technology can help us grieve and have an alternative outlet. But, there is a dependency issue that remains. Humans should be autonomous but with technology involved they are more reliant on it than ever. The OS system shows more autonomy than humans. This dependency issue stems from the lack of human connection. If humans do not have the proper connections with other humans then they will be more vulnerable to any sort of attention they receive. Theo was susceptible to Sam’s attention because of his need for connection.

Is your relationship with technology harming or benefiting you?