social impacts 26 January
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Transcript of social impacts 26 January
SOCIAL IMPACTS26 JANUARY
COMP 381
Inflection Points in History Positives Negatives
privacy family quality of life survival expanding human reach expanding knowledge expanding economy democratization
privacy invasion disintegration of family health pollution danger / misuse misinformation work abuse
And for digital technologies?
POSITIVESPrivacy Family Mostly negative Easy to track people Façade:
Can use screen name to avoid publicly asking
False sense of security Feel like they can say
anything
Reconnecting over long distance Facebook Ancestry.com
Security Bring family together
over entertainment Wii DVR
POSITIVESQuality of life Survival Easier
Cameras Share/preserve photos Communication (email) Access to knowledge Shopping GPS
Medical digitalization Medical intervention Cell phone to call for help
POSITIVESExpanding human reach Expanding knowledge Communicate with other
people Facebook Internet Cell phones
Transportation Exploration
Underwater Space
Availability of information Searching Sharing Learning
POSITIVESExpanding economy Democratization Online shopping Faster business
communication Trade Banking
International projects Mom and pop shops can
advertise
Government transparency
Wikileaks Voting
Impacts
Is Cyberspace Real? Are we creating an artificial distinction? When do distinctions matter?
Worker vs. teleworkerConference vs. teleconference vs. virtual
world conference?Others?
Manifestations Speed of life Communications Desensitization Expectations
Speed of Life Crazy Busy: we are all driven to do
more and do it faster
Signs?
Is this technology’s fault?
Other contributing factors?
How communications has changed
We build our ideas about what is real and what is natural with the cultural materials available.
high school student, 1996
Perception of reasonable ways to communicate:1930s: phone 1996: Internet
2001: End of pay phone eratoday: Changes in the last 5 years?
Desensitization Television Movies Rap songs Violence in games Internet hunting Modern warfare
The TechnosphereWithout much awareness or comment on our part, the technological-technocratic system has usurped the natural and social milieus to become the primary environment in which we live.
Andrew KimbrellCold Evil
Technology is a way of organizing the world so that we do not experience it.
Max Frisch
Simulations The imitative representation of
functioning of one system by means of the functioning of another
You capture some aspects, but not all: need to decide what is important
Simulations in Physical Space Shopping mall: simulation of main street
Streets of Southpoint!
Neighborhood developmentsSimulations or reversions?Sustainable village communities
Television locationsCheers… and bars that are simulations of the simulation
Zoos and theme parks: Busch Garden, World fairsDisneyland Main Street USA
Simulations in Cyberspace
Chat rooms Multi-player online
environments Instant messaging Military: War games,
simulations, exercises
Games Training: flight simulator Medical: Virtual human Social networks
Why are these simulations? How effective are they?
Simulations in Cyberspace With your own persona:
Create communities and societiesCommunication with friends
But are these really “you”? Do you have different personas?
In “real life”?In cyberspace?
Culture of Simulation Sherry Turkle, “cybershrink”
Seminal work on people and technologySimulation and Its Discontents
What about the Internet has changed since 1996?
Real life vs. virtual life AvatarsTransference
What is good about simulations? Safe place to
LearnExperiment
Opportunity to try things that you couldn’t otherwise tryDifferent places and timesExpensive facilitiesDanger
What is bad about simulations? False sense of capability
CPR without real practiceFlying an airplane in bad weather
Can spoil the real thing“Disneyland effect”Nature videos or zoosTravelogsThe Veldt by Ray Bradbury
Impact underestimatedRape in Cyberspace (1998)
Human reactions Alleviating loneliness: Aibo vs. real dog
Emotion in robots (KISMET)
The Uncanny alleyCrossing the Valley