As an advertising and public
relations major, it is my responsibility to influence people through the world
of media that surrounds them. This is why the idea of civil inattention and
stranger sociability fascinates me. While I see media as a way of
communicating, there are opposing views that feel media has become a roadblock
when it comes to the way that humans are interacting with one another in
today’s society. Digital tools are changing the people that interact, and as
millennial and someone that has grown up in this society it is a norm to me
personally. Older generations such as my grandparents talk about the
introduction of computers, emails, and even cell phones. When I first got a
cell phone around the age of 12, social media such as MySpace also began to
blow up.
With these new technologies, they became the next big
thing to have in the 2000s. Today, we are able to communicate to one another
through the click of a button. Not only are we able to communicate vocally, but
the click of the button also can bring up a visual video of someone from across
the world. While all of these technologies that are still reasonably new are
natural to me, the discussion about Google Glass seemed dreamlike and almost
abnormal. While a common problem in society is seen as too many people and
their noses in their phones, the idea of Google Glass takes that a step further.
By physically making this electronic means of communication the first thing you
interact with, we lose the motivation to actually strive for human interaction.
Along with Google Glass, one additional upcoming technology
that amazes me is Oculus. Oculus is meant to be a virtual reality and is
predicted to be here in about 5 years. While this at first seems like a
real-life video game in front of your eyes, I feel that it will transform civic
life and how people interact even more than it is intended. Another benefit of
this product is the use of it for training in life situations such as training
in a new job. For example, they are predicting that Medical professionals will
be using virtual realities such as Oculus in educating other or even preparation
for surgery. This could go even further than hospital rooms and one day even be
used in the office for meetings. What was one called a day at the office could
be turned into a day in the bedroom, and our relationships with our co-workers
could turn into strictly business talk if we are only communicating from our
rooms. While I am a person that is constantly influenced by the use of
technologies, I am also big for communicating to others in genuine ways. With
these new inventions, I fear that society could lose their will to build
relationships with one another if life is constantly being made “easier” or technology-savvy.
Leila,
ReplyDeleteReading through your post, I can connect and agree with many of the points you discussed. Being an advertising and public relations major as well, I feel as if I notice communication and digital media more than the average person. I am constantly noticing new and different ways to connect, but am constantly thinking about how these new technologies are changing the world around us.
Google glass was also very new to me, and so interesting to learn about in class. I found an article on CNBC.com from this month about Google Glass shutting down all their social media accounts including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (http://cnb.cx/1nPjPKD). In the article, they talk about Google Glass deleting all records of having social media accounts in efforts to stop advertising the glasses on social media. Since this is so recent, there isn’t much information on why they decided to stop advertising the glass, the company didn’t make a statement. All they said was to direct any questions they had to the support page for Glass.
This article made me think of the part in your post where you said “ by physically making this electronic means of communication the first thing you interact with, we lose the motivation to actually strive for human interaction.” I’m wondering if this is part of the reason for Google Glass starting to disappear in the media. Are people, and or the company, realizing that the idea of Google Glass is a bit scary? Being able to have people’s information right in front of your eyes when you are walking around in public is something that I think people are a bit reluctant to accept. In my opinion, Google Glass is almost too ahead of its time, and may be a bit far fetched.
Addressing your point about Oculus, I agree that it will be a complete game changer if it is going to blow up as much as it is expected to. I think although it could be deadly to face to face communication, I think it has some great potential for the world. Using Oculus to educate medical students seems really smart and very helpful to prepare students for a real world career in the medical field. I can agree that these new inventions are a bit scary, but it seems almost inevitable that these new technologies will become a part of our lives as we get older. It’s amazing to think of how far technology has already come, and its potential to get even more modern and new.
As a fellow millennial, I have also grown up in the burgeoning world of technology. I know it has played a significant role throughout my life, as well of the lives of those surrounding me. I have seen the way technology influences interactions and relationships.
ReplyDeleteAs you state in your post “Today, we are able to communicate to one another through the click of a button.” Communication today is often done by texting, email, or through some form of social media, and this has changed the way we interact, face-to-face. We can now have a conversation with a friend via texting, while we are sitting at dinner with our family. With the invention of Google glass, we will be able to multi-task and multi-converse with even more efficiency and ease. In reference to Google glass, you state; “By physically making this electronic means of communication the first thing you interact with, we lose the motivation to actually strive for human interaction.” I couldn’t agree more. This technology will perhaps make life a bit easier, and allow us to fixate on a few different things at the same time. Unfortunately, these technologies remove the importance of living in the fleeting now. Interactions with those around you hold less meaning, because you could easily text, call, or Skype that person later.
When it comes to Occulus Rift I agree that such technology could be beneficial if used in the appropriate environments, specifically for training in the medical field. However, I feel that introducing it to the public it would be overall detrimental for society. Occulus allows individuals to live in their own chosen virtual reality. In today’s world it can be difficult to establish a sense of community or even feelings of humanity for those around you. I believe this is because there is a lack of commonalities due to the expansive world of technology. Inventions such as Occulus, and Goggle glass, would accentuate this serious problem. If these technologies become more accessible and popular, I imagine that most everyone you meet will be consumed by their own reality, and the importance of human interactions and relationships will be forgotten.