In the film, the character Neo tries to free people from the oppression of the Matrix. We all seem to be packed and ready to move there! This link makes a comical poke at what the future may look like, ( apparently we won't be wasting any time modernising the kettle) we still drink tea but will need help to make it and we still at least occasionally, leave the house.
Joking aside, this clip is always how I imagine the world appears to someone who is austisic. A barrage on your senses making it extremely difficult to process what is appropriate to you. In order to survive you extract precise information such as the tea making.
As peoples sensitivity drops under the constant barrage of communication, we are likely to be subjected to more extreme images. We know as this happens our sensitivity drops, making us less effected by the original level. However I think If I had to live like this, I would make a mental note of all the brands I would not be buying.
I believe I can be considered quite a technophobe in some aspects. Let me explain myself, I am not against any sort of technological advancement and believe that it does benefit us all in some aspects, but then again, I think it makes us lazy. Just like this video shows, there is a need to check to see how tea can be made. How many people nowadays can do so many less things which in the past where considered an obvious need and skill to have?! I am guess I feel a bit like Socrates, who at his time had complained of the decline of memory because of the new medium of writing. I am complaining that some technologies have replaced other important human features, though not denying that they also have enhanced others.
ReplyDeleteHi Claire apologies for the delay in responding. Thanks for your comments and in particular the video link. The key word for me is slightly. I got motion sickness just watching this. Sadly it does seem like a realistic option for the future however if I ever commit a crime this would be a good punishment for me.
DeleteI also agree with you that regardless of my opinion the world is changing. I just would like to be clear on the differences between change and progress. I hope that public relations will have a positive role in negotiating these terms. In ideal terms Excellence Theory provides us with an opportunity to ensure these advancements become progress. Mel Shape states “The reality of modern society with global communications and social independencies that change takes place as the result of social interaction, education, and communication. Some will be positive and some negative.
I think it is particularly important for us as practitioners to identify the differences. I want us to negotiate rather than surrender.
You also made me look for a few more positive examples. A more positive example (even a scaredy cat like me) comes from one of the other areas you mention. Geotagging, this has lots of practical and fun applications as well a few darker scarcer ones (I sure some employers would love to have all chipped like cats, so they can check on us all the time). Anyway Geocaching is a fun family activity. People hide treasure (maybe a lego man) in boxes then post coordinates on the internet. The boxes can be found using GPS devices.
http://www.geocaching.com/
Thankfully its still a pop up free activity, well for the moment.
Thanks enlightenedflack for your comments and sorry for the slow reply. I agree that there are both benefits and losses from technological advancement. Each element of new technology like every thing else in life has two sides. The best and the worst parts can be thought of like a coin, two flip sides of one whole. With each advancement in life there is a price to be paid. I understand why Socrates felt frustrated by the decline in memory. Advancement in one field always seems to result in the decline of another. Writing and obviously reading reduced the need for memory. Can we find a way to hold on to the best of everything? However as soon as something is not needed it goes into decline. This is not the only change that happens.
DeleteIn the existing framework Socrates was functioning extremely well. If we think of memory, as the currency of the skill sets, required at the time. His memory was clearly excellent (lets be honest he didn’t exactly struggle with writing but bare with me) equalling a high value currency. People who didn’t have such excellent memories would not do so well low currency. The invention of writing evened that out. New people would come to the fore. Like Europes move to the euro there were winners (not many) and losers. Individuals as well as society as a whole are affected by change. Some win some lose.
Maybe we are resistant to the changes because we want to hold on to the best of what we have or maybe just maybe we worry we have more to lose than others from the current changes?
I must admit I worry that one day we will live like this. The issue of augmented reality is particularly interesting for those in public relations and public affairs as is discussed by Elisabeth in her blog 'A wee blog about social media.' http://bit.ly/xzQhuk. It seems that if we want to work in PR in the future we shall have to become well versed in terminology such as gesture based computing, geotagging, AR markers and augmented reality browsers.
ReplyDeleteI came across a similar video which depicts a slightly less intimidating future relationship with augmented reality technolog. A future where humans shall continue to use their faculty of reason and to interact face to face with each other.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9c6W4CCU9M4
Hi Claire apologies for the delay in responding. Thanks for your comments and in particular the video link. The key word for me is slightly. I got motion sickness just watching this. Sadly it does seem like a realistic option for the future however if I ever commit a crime this would be a good punishment for me.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you that regardless of my opinion the world is changing. I just would like to be clear on the differences between change and progress. I hope that public relations will have a positive role in negotiating these terms. In ideal terms Excellence Theory provides us with an opportunity to ensure these advancements become progress. Mel Shape states “The reality of modern society with global communications and social independencies that change takes place as the result of social interaction, education, and communication. Some will be positive and some negative.
I think it is particularly important for us as practitioners to identify the differences.
I want us to negotiate rather than surrender.
You also made me look for a few more positive examples. A more positive example (even a scaredy cat like me) comes from one of the other areas you mention. Geotagging, this has lots of practical and fun applications as well a few darker scarcer ones (I sure some employers would love to have all chipped like cats, so they can check on us all the time). Anyway Geocaching is a fun family activity. People hide treasure (maybe a lego man) in boxes then post coordinates on the internet. The boxes can be found using GPS devices.
http://www.geocaching.com/