Does Linking Humans and Technology Create Reliance?

Something I found interesting in Teknolust was the theme of dependence on others.  Rosetta is dependent on the SRAs in order to live a full life (she can only live the life of a science geek).  In turn, the SRAs are also relaint on Rosetta (shown when they complain when she does not have the time for them). Not until Ruby meets Sandy is she less reliant on Rosetta, yet this just creates a reliance on someone else. The SRAs are reliant on men in order to keep their immune systems healthy.  I think Rosetta is also reliant on men because not until the SRAs see her with a man do they think she can survive on her own.  Both Rosetta and the SRAs absolutely rely on technology in order to communicate (communicate through the microwave). 

What is Hershman-Leeson trying to say about reliance?  I thought it was a little bit strange that as a feminist, Hershman-Leeson did not create a single woman character who seemed like she could make it on her own.  Rosetta is completely confined to being a stereotypical, awkward science geek and while the SRAs (Ruby, in particular) may be viewed as strong women who contradict society's norms, they get by using sexuality and also display many dependencies. 

Looking at the dependency issues that arise in Teknolust also made me think back to the Chorost excerpts we read.  If humans become more linked to technology, will this just create even more dependence in our lives?  While technological advances make our lives easier in so many ways, each advance makes us less independent.  When we already rely so heavily on phones, computers, GPS systems, etc., is it wise to increase the connection between humans and computers and make us even less independent?  I am nervous that if humans and internet were able to be integrated into one hyperorganism, as Chorost describes, we might lose too much of what makes us "human" now...how would having instant access to so much information decrease our creativity and curiosity to learn on our own?