Shannon Jordan

[oliviavgauvin]

Google Glass sounds like something out of a dream. But it is not as “available” as it might seem to be, and is out of the question for most people. Most people, that is, who could use technology to create civic value. Google glass is cool, but we need technology that is more affordable and...

[shannonenl368]

Shattered Glass: Mistrusting Progressive Tech

Olivia Gauvin explains her hesitation to trust Google Glass in her blog post, “GOOGLE GLASS: DREAM OR EXPENSIVE NIGHTMARE?” This mistrust of the device stems from the price tag attached to the tech and a lack of civic outlets that it can present.

As I stated in my post, Google Glass is “a channel through which we can view the world differently.”(Jordan) This tech will open doors so we can create a new level of social discourse that can result in worldwide change.

Building Blocks

Obviously, the first stages of any new fad must be rooted in commercial desire. Nothing can become a force unless it is given proper momentum. Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus, states:

“Civic value rarely comes from sudden conversations; nor does it bubble up from individual actions.  It comes, instead, from the work of groups, small groups at first that grow in size and importance, the pattern of collaborative circles, communities and practice, and many other group action.” (Shirky 186)

In reality a device like Google Glass will be mistrusted at first, much like cell phones and the internet were, but these advancements will afford a brighter future.

The slow integration of this tech will snowball into a normal way for people to connect and unite to advance causes they find important

Company Responsibility

Gauvin asks the question, “from a company as powerful as Google, shouldn’t we expect more than interesting?”(Gauvin) She is right in expecting more from a global influence, but at the moment the device they are trying to market is not an embodiment of Google.

As I argued, Google Glass is simply a stepping stone for what can happen. We can take this tech and mold it into whatever we want.

Shirky says, “We must combine our surplus free time if it is to be useful and we can do that only when we are given the right opportunities” (97).

This statement paired with Massively Networked author Pamela Lund’s belief that imagination can take us anywhere creates a clear idea that, while Glass may be fad based right now, the technology will grow to be more important.

Price Woes

Another issue that Gauvin found with the public release of Google Glass is the staggering price of $1500. She believes that this limits the range of people who will be able to use the device and that it is far too much to pay for the amount of civic value Glass will present.

Again, the beginning stages of any new hardware will have downfalls. Nothing can promise to change too much or else it will be discarded. After Glass becomes more socially accepted, greater numbers will buy the device and the price will come down. And when it does, the reward will be far greater than a few dollars. 

Take Time

Shirky and Lund both agree that the technology that we use is controlled by us. We may live in a society that makes us conform to using devices, but the impact these gadgets have on global affairs is entirely up to how we choose to use them.

Google Glass is nothing to fear, as individuals we have the power to decide what dreams may come.

Works Cited

Guavin, Olivia. “GOOGLE GLASS: DREAM OR EXPENSIVE NIGHTMARE?” THE ABSENTMINDED PHILOSOPHER. Tumblr, 14 May 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

Lund, Pamela. Massively Networked: How the Convergence of Social Media and Technology Is    Changing Your Life. 1st ed. PLI Media, 2011.

Jordan, Shannon. "Got Glass? Now Everyone Can." Shannon Jordan. Tumblr, 14 May 2014. Web. 14 May 2014.

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators. New York: Penguin, 2010. Print.

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[shannonenl368]

Got Glass? Now Everyone Can

Google has recently made their Glass tech available to the public. Photographer Josh Lowenshon reports Google “wants to get the device in the hands of anyone who wants to buy it – as long as it’s got the units on hand” (Lowensohn). His article skims over the uses of Google Glass, but does not capture the essence of what this release will mean for the public.

Google Glass being freely available to all who seek it will ignite a change in social structure and open the world to new possibilities.

Explore Your World

Glass is not only, as Lowensohn describes, an “Android-powered headset [linked] up with your smartphone to show alerts and run apps” (Lowensohn), it is a channel through which we can view the world differently.

Google’s website for this product describes Glass users as “explorers” (Google).

The sleek web design brings viewers through a journey to explain what Glass can do and boasts how it will influence your life with page titles such as:

Be Active

Explore Your World

Live Lighter

This technology will change what it means to go for a run, visit a landmark or communicate with others. Glass will enhance how we see living by lending a hand in understanding the world that we inhabit.

Live Lighter

Let’s focus on this assertion of Glass’s ability to help you “live lighter” (Google)

Pamela Lund, author of Massively Networked, states

“in order to live a fulfilling and satisfying life, an increasing number of workarounds are necessary – including complex strategies for managing finances and finding a way to push aside activities we would find more fulfilling in order to remain employed.” (Lund 17)

Google Glass will be able to take this common stressor out of the equation and improve the quality of life for users.

Imagine, for a moment, that you are walking along a path and come upon a bird.

There is a desire to take a photo, but your camera is in your bag.

By the time you get the device, your chance is gone.

The bird has flown away.

Now think what would happen if you had Google Glass.

You see the animal,

You take the picture.

You want to know what kind of bird it is?

You have the information.

You want to share this experience?

You can immediately

The nature of Glass technology is to limit the time it takes to perform remedial tasks and allow more time for creative enjoyment.

What Dreams May Come

Lund focuses heavily on the importance of imagination to the world in her book.

“Through imagination, you have access to a vast store of immaterial realities that have the potential to shape the physical world.” (Lund 9)

This quote appears as a tagline for Lund’s first chapter. She explains the ways in which creative thinking have influenced the world that we live in. From Einstein to Star Trek, the presence of fantasy is noticeable in our lives.

The future is now, the change is coming.

Google Glass, will not only make our lives easier and more enjoyable, but it will also give us the opportunity to open our minds and change how the world works.

Google Glass will reinforce Lund’s claim that “you as an individual have more power than ever before to change the world.” (Lund 19)

Works Cited

"Google Glass." Google Glass. Google, n.d. Web. 14 May 2014. <http://www.google.com/glass/start/>.

Lowensohn, Josh. "Google Glass now on sale to all in US, but still in beta." The Verge. The Verge, 13 May 2014. Web. 14 May 2014. <http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/13/5715054/anyone-in-the-us-can-now-buy-google-glass>.

Lund, Pamela. Massively Networked: How the Convergence of Social Media and Technology Is    Changing Your Life. 1st ed. PLI Media, 2011. 

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[shannonenl368]

Communication Alteration: Your Voice Is Being Silenced

The internet provides a space where people can convene and share ideas, but this space is currently under attack. Content is being censored and net neutrality is at risk of getting wiped out.

This is not good.

Stand Together.

Allison Hanna explains in her blog post, "Digital Media Revolution", that "the problem isn’t media, it’s mindless consumption." 

Drew Guarini says in his article that the web may be heading in a more capitalist direction, where the companies with the most money will be granted faster service.

Rebecca Mackinnon, author of Consent of the Networked, states:

“The future of freedom in the Internet age depends on whether people can be bothered to take responsibility for the future and act”(MacKinnon 222).

How are these three ideas connected?

By The People

Web users are the ones who will make the difference when internet concerns crop up. In order to have democracy online, Hanna says "public and personal media fused into the same network, connecting us all", pairing this with MacKinnon's idea that people must "take responsibility" and keep internet control out of the hands of big business shows that social media can play a large part in shaping the web.

Sadly, when most people think about matters of the net, they worry about their Netflix subs rising or their YouTube videos loading too slowly. They don't realize the burden that will be put upon start up sites or the division of power among select web services.

MacKinnon uses Apple as an example of the issues of highest rank for companies:

"Apple similarly censors apps for iPads sold in China… Fifteen years later, Apple seems quite willing to accomodate Big Brother’s demands for the sake of market access” (MacKinnon 115).

Companies don't care about users, they only care about profit

Counter Attack

How do we protect ourselves from internet censorship?

By stepping up and getting involved.

Hanna states, "Tech tools play a key role in activism."

MacKinnon says, "although the Internet and mobile technologies do not cause change, change is unlikely to happen without sufficient mobile and Internet penetration”(MacKinnon 53).

Web users can protect themselves, we just need to come together to keep the net safe. Net politics can be severely influenced by the people who use it, therefore we must make the change while we still have the resources to do so.

Control of the web should not be based on profit. It should be based on those who use it. The biggest priority should be to protect and serve the people who are making the web a financial goldmine.

Works Cited

Guarini, Drew. “Feds May Be Looking To Bail On Net Neutrality: WSJ.” Huffington Post. N. p., 4–23 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

Hanna, Allison. “Digital Media Revolution” Internet Communication & Culture: Allison’s ENL 368 Blog. Tumblr. N. p., 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 4 May 2014.

MacKinnon, Rebecca. Consent of the Networked: The World-wide

Struggle for Internet Freedom. New York: Basic, 2012. Print.

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[cohenmax93-deactivated20150804]

Edward Snowden is infamous as an activist due to his release of classified records. Recently Brazil has moved to change its policies regarding net privacy and the collection of data due to what Mr. Snowden unveiled. Will it take continued acts of treason and rebellion to steer the US in the right...

[shannonenl368]

The issue of creating internet law is what makes web privacy so unstable. 

In order to have privacy, someone must be watching what is happening on the internet. It's the same as having cops in the real world; everyone wants safety, therefore everyone must be monitored to ensure that safety. 

Internet privacy is somewhat of a paradox because of this. Who can we rely on to make sure we are safe online? If there are laws put in place than who is in charge of enforcing these laws?

Other countries don't want the U.S. to have control because we pull stunts like the ones Snowden revealed. People don't want governments handling this activity because it violates personal privacy. The obvious choice would be to have internet carriers take care of data. But even they would have to report to lawmakers. 

It's all very messy business.

But, as MacKinnon alludes: we've done this to ourselves.

Cohenmax93 suggests that users take matters into their own hands. Uniting together will create a force that can change the minds of policy makers.

It's a wonderful idea, but, in practice it does not seem feasible. After all, the only way for this group to band together is through the web, which is currently out of their control.

Cohen, Max. “(Fight Technological Abuse with Technology)”cohenmax93.tumblr.com.  Tumblr, (23 Apr. 2014). Accessed (27 Apr. 2014).

MacKinnon, Rebecca. Consent of the Networked: The Worldwide Struggle For Internet Freedom. 1st ed. New York, NY: Basic Books, 2012. Print.

[shannonenl368]

Neutrality Nightmare: Faster Traffic for Big Spenders

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is looking to change net neutrality rules in order to allow internet providers to charge websites more to connect with users.

Net Neutrality

According to this article by the Huffington Post, the FCC may be gearing up to change net neutrality. These changes would force companies who require more bandwidth (such as those using streaming video) to pay more to reach customers.

This action would, in turn, cause the sites to charge their users more for access to their services.

Giving this power to internet providers would give them the option to pick and choose which sites would be more easily accessed.

Old Rules

Net neutrality originally said that internet providers could not stifle lawful sites. Each site would have equal opportunity for users, granting much more freedom.

Altering these rules would create a more political space on the web. Sites who could afford to use more bandwidth would obviously have the upper hand when it comes to getting users. The long term effect would hinder new start up sites from being created and would make the net into even more of a capitalist area.

This would basically phase out the free market and make way for profit controlled usage.

But these rules will not create a total web tyranny, Guarini says: "The FCC's proposal will ban Internet service providers from the most outright discriminatory practices, like blocking a legal website that offers a service that the Internet provider also offers." (Guarini)

However, that seems to be the only up side to these cash grabbing changes.

Guarini, Drew. “Feds May Be Looking To Bail On Net Neutrality: WSJ.” Huffington Post. N. p., 4–23 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

[bmcleodumd]

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) involved obsession with one’s own body, and their appearance. It leads to crippling a crippling level of self-consciousness. Researchers are beginning to believe “selfies,” the act of taking a picture of yourself, has become a sign of BDD.

Selfie-Syndrome

They are...

[shannonenl368]

Media has time and again been linked with mental illness and it has an obvious impact on social constructs. Brett McLeod explains that there is a link between selfies and BDD in his post.

I always find correlations between social media and psych disorders to be interesting. I've mentioned in multiple posts that the internet can be extremely addicting and media can have a large impact on social behaviors.

Selfie Help?

So, we have this issue of the internet, and other social media, having a large amount of influence over people; but how do we prevent the negative effects?

McLeod simply states, "Selfies need to stop." 

I believe that the nature of selfies need to stop. People can't continue to measure their self worth in "likes" and "retweets". Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus, explains that the internet needs to stray from the personal and head toward the communal in terms of sharing.

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Works Cited

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators. New York: Penguin, 2010. Print.

McLeod, Brett. “Crying Out: Selfie-Help.” Brett McLeod UMD. Tumblr, 17 Apr. 2014. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.

[katyiskelly]

Brisk growth of technology creates a narrow and fearful view of the world we live in because of personal outlooks. Shifting that view from isolation to communal allows for a more beneficial and hopeful view of the world through the Internet.

Optimism Begins Communally

One of my last blogs...

[allisonhanna8]

With smartphones in hand, we are always plugged into the digital media network. Our actions shape the future. We can engage as helpless individuals, or as powerful participants who create civic value.

Escape marketing media’s domination

Sometimes it feels like the media dominates our lives....

[bmcleodumd]

Knowledge is everywhere. The Internet houses tons of false information. Average people cause this. The publish button many have access to causes this.

It’s not all inaccurate

It’s impossible to say that all information spread by “nobodies” can be considered false. There are even websites,...

[oliviavgauvin]

Unbiased journalism gives access to news we need to make informed decisions. “Journalism” by special-interest humanitarian groups is biased and may not count as journalism. It is advocacy. Advocacy creates public and civic value by promoting human rights issues of the internet age. The ability to...

[shannonenl368]

Learning Connection: Tech Enhancing Classrooms

Tons of web devices are being used to get students actively engaged in scholarly pursuits. Whether it’s online talks or smart blogging, high schools and colleges alike are latching onto these methods to get students involved.

But what effect does this process have on schooling and the web as a whole? Interactive Classrooms

Charles Clark explains in his article that technology ‘flipping’ is the newest trend in classroom set up. Teachers and professors are using the internet to expand the sphere of learning. Clark lists the various tools that exist to make this a reality:

Smart boards

Online tech

Distance educational connectivity

These tools branch out into apps and other hardware to widen the scope of student comprehension.

The thread that ties tech to the classroom is control. While these tools aid in learning, they are just that: tools. Teachers cannot let the web run the classroom, they must use tech to bridge the gap between materials and student understanding. Learning is a group effort, one cannot simply read a book or web article and become a genius.

Clark says, “The premise of the flipped classroom is that students do much of the background work outside of class, often using web-based technology although not exclusively, to work with a discipline’s content.” Using the web strongly influences the student’s progress in class.

Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus, says “the internet is an opportunity machine” but, even he realizes that you wouldn’t want to trust someone who learned all that they know from one source whether it be a book or the web. People need well rounded experience with the info they are dealing with. Community Posting

So how is this type of media differ from sites like Facebook and Twitter?

They are different because classroom discussion is more thought provoking than personal posting.

As I wrote in a post a few weeks ago, social media acts as “brain candy” for a person. The addictive nature of receiving ‘likes’ and retweets makes media into a psychological need rather than a tool for learning.

Opening the mind up to smart discussion turns the internet into an open forum for changing opinions and thought.

What Dreams May Come?

How will using media in classrooms change the internet?

Perhaps learning to make the web into a place for intelligent rounded discussion will transform it from mindless “brain candy” to a forum for scholarly pursuits.

This change in function can broaden Shirky's idea of the web being a community.

Works Cited

Clark, Charles. “Next Gen Education: Technology 'flipping' and Connecting Classrooms” Htrnews.com. 13 Apr. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Jordan, Shannon. “Technology Blues: The Psych of Social Media Marketing.” Tumblr, 27 Mar. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators. New York: Penguin, 2010. Print.

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[tgoyette]

The Pentagon has ordered the production of prototype AR contacts lenses that will rival the upcoming Google Glass, GG, craze. Not only are these contacts easier to conceal, as opposed to the obvious hardware that GG operates on, but they will be able to do so much more.

Think of the...

[shannonenl368]

Interaction Satisfaction: The Gap Between Man and Machine is Closing

Researchers all over the place are trying to create new ways to make us more efficient by adding robotic parts.

Brian McEvoy, an electronic engineer has designed an "internal compass" (Monks) which can be embedded beneath the skin. When the user faces North, an "ultra thin wire" will jut out and brush the skin.

Grindhouse CEO Tim Cannon recently implanted a micro-computer into his arm to "collect and transmit data via bluetooth" (Monks)

Richard Lee, an implant designer, is exclusively interested in magnets. He has successfully embedded magnets into his ears which have allowed him to hear music and nature on a whole new level. (Monks)

Wearable? More Like Unbearable.

Tech like this begs the question, when will it ever stop? Putting machinery into, or onto, the human body only makes sense to me when it is for medical reasons.

There is a difference between using a pacemaker or insulin drip and placing navigation devices or cellphone tech into the body for convenience. You could simply carry these items with you rather than being constantly jacked in.

Lee describes his experiences with his magnets as "almost erotic" (Monks). He feels the world differently than he used to and improves his tech to make these feelings more intense. Most of his implants are specially targeted to erogenous zones, which he predicts will increase commercial success. These types of tech leaps only serve to distract us. We become so caught up in the newest fad and what it can do for us, we forget about living. There have got to be limits to the changes we are willing to undergo. We must realize what is important to the human experience before we lose it to data and programming.

Works Cited 

Monks, Keiron. “Forget wearable tech, embeddable implants are already here." CNN Tech. CNN Tech, n.p. 9 Apr. 2014 Web. 10 Apr. 2014.

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[cohenmax93-deactivated20150804]

“One source of television’s negative effects has been the reduction in the amount of human contact…” (Shirky, 7)

Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus is overblowing the negative effects of television. Television is an escape much like books or movies, and it gives people a base on which they...

[shannonenl368]

I think it's very interesting how television has shaped our world.

Shirky explained that television became popular because it provided an escape, now it seems like TV acts as a lens through which we can perceive the world. 

Plenty of examples exist which can shine light on the power of television. There is a reason that censorship exists and why so many oppressive world leaders warped the media as a first move when they come into power. The media has the power to connect millions of people and enact change.

Because humans have become so involved in television, we assume that what we see on our favorite shows is what we should see in real life. That is why it is such a mile stone to have leading women, interracial couples, lgbt characters, plus sized love interests, etc. in the media. Seeing controversial or abnormal roles in television make the real life counterparts more acceptable. 

But, while television can aid in creating positive change, it can also serve to negatively effect communities.

When I first read the original blog post, I thought of an issue that occurred when TV was first broadcast in Fiji. Before TV, women in the region were praised for being above average weight. After mainstream media was introduced, this practice took a severe turn. When the people of Fiji saw the size 2's parading around in sitcoms, they embraced the look as the standard of beauty. This line of thinking caused a large number of women to develop eating disorders and a negative body image.

This phenomena shows that what we view on television can directly effect the way that we think and behave. As long as the ideas presented are positive, TV will serve as an important and progressive force in the world.

Word Count: 300

60.6

[shannonenl368]

Cyborg Reality, Tech Merging With Real Life

Google Glass Wearers Unite

A group calling themselves the Society of Glass Explorers are becoming a community and meeting up to show companionship for each other. After a Glass user was attacked by citizens who were fearful that they were being recorded, supporters of the technology grew closer to ensure that an event like this would not be repeated. Wearers of the gadgets met up at a bar to converse and hang out with each other. 

Kristen Brown recounts Roger Jones' encounter with these explorers in her article "Google Glass Wearers Getting Used to Curious Stares". Brown quotes Glass Society member Fred Davis as saying that he believes in "total immersion" when it comes to the technology and he rarely takes the device off unless he is sleeping (Brown).

Societal Trepidation

Brown's article explains that a woman, Sarah Slocum, was harassed and attacked when she wore her device out in public. With devices like these it is understandable that some people would be hesitant in excepting something new, but as Clay Shirky, author of Cognitive Surplus, states "our social media tools aren’t an alternative to real life, they are part of it." (37). These gadgets are quickly becoming more present in our everyday lives and that is something that society will simply need to adjust to.

Easy Browsing

In Brown's article, many of the Glass users explain that they use their device mainly to enjoy hands free surfing while still being able to interact with friends. Most of the casual usage of Google Glass was to check texts and email or to find directions while commuting (Brown). While the head gear may seem ominous at first it is clear that it is barely different than a cell phone.

Community Support

As Glass becomes more accessible and mainstream it is only a matter of time before most people have one. Right now the technology is foreign but, as the article explains, the more users there are the more normal the device will be. I believe that Shirky would be pleased with the way the Society of Glass Explorers banded together to create a support system for each other and to show the world that Glass is nothing to fear.

Works Cited

Brown, Kristen. "Google Glass Wearers Getting Used to Curious Stares" SFGate. Web. 3 Apr 2014.

Shirky, Clay. Cognitive Surplus Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age. New York: Penguin Press, 2010. Print.

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[shannonenl368]

Robot Revolution: Workforce's Downfall

The increase in the use of tech to cut costs and make production lines more efficient may have an adverse effect on the job market in the future.

Over the last few decades America has seen a steady decline in the number of people in the work force. While many would like to blame political parties for the decrease, it seems that we have brought this upon ourselves.

In his article, Harold Meyerson cites different studies showing that the falling numbers of workers connect to the rise of robotic technology made to aid production.

This observation is unsettling to prediction that "47 percent of U.S. workers have a high probability of seeing their jobs automated over the next 20 years." (Meyerson)

Meyerson makes the bold statement that the limited number of people with sizable income will be forced to share the wealth to compensate for the work that is taken by the machines and therefore bring about socialism in America.

The thought of having the job market crumble is really scary. It seems way too Hunger Games for me. Pairing this data with the many articles on tech being used to spy, a dystopian future may be just around the corner.

Meyerson, Harold. "The Coming Job Apocalypse". WP Opinions. Web. 26 March 2014.

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[tgoyette]

This is something that worries me, truly.

What dreams may come?

Google Glass, Oculus Rift, and soon to be countless other augmented reality devices are becoming more and more integrated with our lives. Soon, they will overrun them, and even the simplest task may need the assistance of tech in order to complete. 

We live in  a capitalistic society, which  highlights a notion of endless greed,and the relentless pursuit of profit by any and all means- which in other cultures would be considered insanity. - 217

Because of this, companies will forever be trying to force feed a potential consumer new products, often creating products that become obsolete within a few months, or years if lucky. 

Advertisement has already, and will continue to, flood our every day lives in desperate bids for a consumers attention. With the coming augmented reality boom this problem will only multiply.

Why is this a problem?

I fear that one day we will spend so much of our time enjoying a virtual reality in the stead of our own that we will inevitably boot ourselves out of existence. Imagine a world where machines do everything for us, yet the roads are barren, and so are the fields that we are supposed to be out frolicking in, and the lack of new symphonic sound in the air is maddening. Where is the cultural boom that was supposed to happen once our tech took care of the rest?

I’ll tell you where, the muses of the future are locked away in their cubic studio apartment, trapped in a corner like a junky, tweaking out to something other than drugs: virtual reality. 

Why leave the house when you can have everything you could ever desire from the comfort of your own home?

Is it happening?

The short answer, yes, and here’s how. It used to be, back in the day, that people would actually enjoy talking to each other. Humans are social animals, and in our quest to be better connected and available to the mass public, i.e.: billions of people that none of us will ever meet or even hear about, that we have created a system in which we have alienated ourselves from our natural social construct.

“People thought that the internet would provide instant free global access to all human knowledge. It would be a noncommercial zone, a genuine public sphere, leading to far greater awareness, stronger communities, and greater political participation.”-218

Though the intent was well placed, the realization of that dream had swiftly turned into a nightmare. While it it true that nearly everything a person could learn is available somewhere on the internet, the problem is we underestimated man’s most impress trait; the endless capability to find distractions.

The more we become connected in our virtual realms, the further we drift from humanity.

Now, we avoid eye contact in an elevator, sitting near someone in class is only an option if all other seats are taken, even lunchtime meetings with real life friends are often spent staring down at a smart phone, only looking up to acknowledge one anothers existence to show a funny picture that was found or, dare I say it, take a selfie.

We have become out devices, and lost a large piece of what it is that had made us such a special species to begin with.

What’s the worst that could happen?

The worst, would be the slow decline, and extinction of mankind. We will be so consumed by the guilty pleasures of an alternate reality, say, for example,  a virtual lover with the tech to make you feel “just right-” with the added benefit of being able to be turned off, literally.

What then? Without reproduction those who have become a slave to their pretentious realities will die off, little more than a spec and a clip of data- their entire lives played out, recorded, and only a molecule in the cloud other’s realities. 

“The internet and the broader digital revolution are not inexorably determined by technology; they are shaped by how society elects to develop them. Reciprocally, our chosen way of development will shape us and our society, probably dramatically.” - 216

It’s true, and being a product of our environments the digital revolution will change us as it turns to a digital evolution. Our bodies will grow more and more used to the ease that our tech will bring that we may end up a different life form entirely, our modern day selves looking and behaving like how we now see the neanderthals. We are mow creating tech that will make our lives so easy, that we will be replaced by the very things that were built to sustain us. 

We become worthless.

Ponder this:

www.vimeo.com/8569187/

What happens when everything we touch, everything we do, is aided by this type of tech? Will we Devolve?

Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease

60

Word Count

824

Works Cited

McChesney, Robert. Digital Disconnect: How Capitalism Is Turning the Internet Against Democracy. The New Press. Print.