Technical Object, Baby Mimesis, and Affective Scaffolding

Abstract

Posthumanism perspectives see the relationship between humans and technology in inter-connected ways exploring cognition, perception, and awareness co-developmental implications with technology. This article focuses on the interplay between technical objects and the baby niche of development. Two main concepts will guide the discussion: posthuman mimesis and the affective dimension as a possible regulative mediator for object-subject relationships. The broad research question is: How do babies deal with increasingly complex technology daily? Which regulative role does mimesis and affective scaffolding play in regulating babies—technical objects relationship? Considering the two main concepts of baby mimesis and affective scaffolding, I discuss two examples of two babies (one boy and one girl of about 1 year old) via a naturalistic observation of babies interacting with the smartphone. The baby’s niche becomes a mimetic and affective space where the interaction is enacted. The article questions the relationship with the technological in a subject and object dialectic in a time of digital, social, technological, and economic significative transformation.