I think yes
I think that cochlear implants and other related technology will eventually destroy Deaf culture. Interesting that I'm saying this as I'm a mainstreamed deaf adult, and I'm both trying to get my ASL completely fluent and also seriously considering getting an implant this summer.
Why do I think it will destroy our culture? The centerpiece of Deaf culture is ASL, and with the improving technology, fewer and fewer people will speak ASL. 90% of us are born to hearing parents. So I think ASL will mostly die out in the next hundred years or so. There will remain some strong Deaf families but most of the 90% will get these new technologies, especially as they become less invasive.
In the best of all possible worlds there would be some way to overcome the "disability" aspect of deafness while retaining the cultural and pride aspects of being Deaf. And for those of you who argue that deafness is not a disability, in the paradigm we live in more than 99% of people communicate in a way that is at the very least challenging and sometimes impossible for us. For the disability aspect of deafness to be done away with, we can only surround ourselves with Deaf culture, effectively shutting ourselves off from most of the world.
I know that it is important for me, even as I will likely get an implant, to advocate for Deaf culture, pride and language. For a few generations we will be able to keep that. And then, sadly, I think it will fade away, especially as implants are replaced by invisible, more effective technologies that may at the very least give the illusion of reversing deafness.
Think of all the great human societies that have died out and lost their languages-- the Romans, the Etruscans, the original Aryans of India, the Mayans and Incas, indigenous tribes the world over, including many Native American societies... and that's only the tip of the iceberg. I'll do what I can to keep the culture alive, but I think we're seeing the beginning of the end, unless some kind of advocacy can sustain ASL awareness even among those of us who do not need to use it to communicate. Ironically enough, it will be in other parts of the world where sign language in many forms is continued, as many will be too poor to have access to medical and technological advances. Part of me hopes that ASL usage can become more widespread internationally, even as I also support linguistic diversity of many different sign languages. I think that's the only way it can survive.
I love that comment about the hearing aids on steriods! That's too funny! 