this post was submitted on 05 Sep 2025
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43
What would happen to society if people start to extensively use genetic therapy? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by OneSpectra@lemmy.world to c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
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[–] PonyOfWar@pawb.social 26 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

For the kinds of gene therapy we currently have, it wouldn't make that much of a difference for society, but could have a positive effect for people affected by conditions that can be treated with it. Although as I understand it, those treatments are far from perfect and do frequently have adverse effects as well.

If we're talking the sci-fi kind of gene therapy that could stop aging, make people more intelligent etc, that would be an entirely different story. It would have massive societal ramifications and I think especially under capitalism, they wouldn't be good. It would increase inequality by massive amounts and basically turn the rich elites into their own, genetically-superior species.

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Same situation with cybernetic implants. The rich would have infinite eidetic memory and computation power built into their skull. The poor would be forced to have muscle implants if they wanted a job, or worse, much much worse.

[–] kassiopaea@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean, Cyberpunk 2077 does have construction workers being contractually obligated to receive strength-augmenting implants that are low quality and frequently malfunction and/or drive the wearer to homicidal insanity.

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Just think what a company could do with a full motor control interface to their workers. The worker themselves could be asleep or in a virtual world and not have to worry about all that pesky work.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

... why wouldn't they just use robots?

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because other humans will pay for the feel of genuine humans.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For unthinking construction labor?

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

No, for rubbing up against.

[–] folekaule@lemmy.world 14 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I believe the movie Gattaca's premise is around this subject.

[–] Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 year ago

I came here to say exactly this.

[–] M1ch431@slrpnk.net 12 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It'd probably be fucked up like how it was depicted in Star Trek.

[–] BurgerBaron@piefed.social 4 points 1 year ago

I think bad people would try to genetically enslave us and it'd be way more boring than Star Trek hunter/hunted.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 10 points 1 year ago (1 children)

what is genetic therapy?

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

it's a broad term used to refer to any medical treatment that uses gene technology somehow.

there's mostly two variants today:

  • mRNA medication. that one is temporary. it does something to you, then the effect wears off by itself within day, weeks or months. this one is new-ish (first used since around 2015) but it's getting more and more usage because it works well and has typically few side-effects.
  • DNA-modifying medication. that one is permanent and possibly hereditary, i.e. it would affect your offspring too. a.f.a.i.k. it's practically not used today due to the grave and long-lasting impacts it would have on individuals and society.
[–] lime@feddit.nu 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

so the answer to the question is "we already know, we already spent the entirety of 2021-2023 doing it".

[–] AwesomeLowlander@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago

The question is more hypothetical than practical. Comparing what we can currently achieve with genetic therapy to its actual potential is comparing an ice cube with an iceberg.

[–] OneSpectra@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Maybe DNA plasmids could be used in medicine.

[–] MTK@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Either x-men or just less people with genetic diseases. Not sure which one though...

[–] liquidapricity@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago

.... Bioshock

[–] GaMEChld@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

KHAN!

[–] gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 year ago

My honest opinion is that we aren't there yet. If people use gene therapy on a large scale today (the one that actually alters the DNA inside the cell's nucleus) we're gonna end up with a large amount of genetic damage, damaged individuals and damaged offspring within a few generations.

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

A lot of people are going to be hotter.

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

I offer a rebuttal: plastic surgery exists and is a hell of a lot cheaper than genetic engineering is, and I wouldn't say people are hotter. The rich ones, 1000%. Your every day people, probably not.

not having to fiddle with eyeliner would be amazing though

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago

This is mostly cultural. In colombia, they have a saying "the only ugly woman is a poor woman."

[–] HobbitFoot@thelemmy.club 2 points 1 year ago

It depends on the country. Some countries, like South Korea and Brazil, absolutely have more attractive people who have access to they level of plastic surgery and have specific form they are trying to match. We are also only seeing plastic surgery getting better to a point where people don't look like they've had plastic surgery.

I would also argue that generic engineering is going to be used differently. Various skin disorders, including acne, could be treated at the genetic level. You could also potentially change fat storage and muscle growth, making people thinner and more muscular; a byproduct of which would make them attractive.

Then, think of the children. Parents can design their children to be more physically fit even among their own genes. There's been a meme going around of Henry Cavill and his brothers, using Squidwards as a way to comment on the variation in attractiveness. Imagine a future where parents could choose all their kids to be the attractive versions.

[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I imagine genetic traits like down syndrome or bodily mutations would be a lot less common.
Autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety too depending on what kinda healthcare this fictional society has.
if it's anything like plastic surgery, nothing will happen except maybe down syndrome and bodily mutations.

if it's cheap though people are gonna go ALLL out on bodily cosmetics. Id want a spiky dick with one of those spiky balls at the end like that one dinosaurs tail.

[–] WindyRebel@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

like that one dinosaurs tail

Ankylosaurus

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Furries. Real ones. :3

[–] HubertManne@piefed.social 1 points 1 year ago

I would be able to tan and have no need for glasses. Be great to have some sort of youthening.

[–] omgboom@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 year ago

https://universe.eveonline.com/lore/jovian-disease

[–] agent_nycto@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

A global society where science has advanced enough and everyone is wealthy enough to be able to do this? They can do what they want with it I guess, we'll never see it