Some people run to new technology with their arms wide open. Others are very distrustful of emerging technology. The latter might feel they are invasive to your privacy or too disruptive to your life. I think that their wariness is justified. Especially given how many people do become obsessed with their digital devices and how easy it is to use new technologies to purposefully or inadvertently capture private moments.
I think the pull between these two extremes will shape the future of technology. I’ve seen articles about companies implanting chips into employees and wonder how that fits into American society. While privacy is not strictly enumerated into our constitution, it is an important pillar of American values. I find it hard to believe that employers will go without lawyers getting involved eventually, if that is not already in the works. Discussing topics like these with other people, you’d find many people that would be extremely uncomfortable with having objects planted in their bodies. Additionally, privacy will continue to be an relevant issue because drones and 360 degree video enables someone to capture quite a tremendous view. That vast view from both will lend the ability to capture footage of people that may be unaware they’re being filmed or photographed.
One thing I want to predict in our future is something that I truly hope can come to fruition. It may sound silly, but there should be classes that address digital media/devices starting in middle school (or earlier). While they are young we should be teaching children how to find balance in their lives. Technology is meant to aide our lives. It is meant to make us more organized. It is meant to help make us more productive. We should not let it cripple us and distract us from our daily tasks. Our society needs to reflect on how we can find an appropriate balance of living our lives and how much digital we mix in.
In the future there could easily be a Communications Etiquette class. In that class students could learn how to speak to each other in person and online. Teachers would be there to mediate as students acted out “verbal confrontations” and help them learn how it may be important to have certain conversations in person and how other conversations are fine for digital methods. This would also be a great class to show children what it looks like as a third-party person when people are perhaps over-sharing on social media. There seem to be unwritten rules that many people abide by but we’ve all seen our fair share of people that throw all caution to the wind and spill every last bean. This isn’t to say that the unwritten rules should become written, because this is a country that prides itself on the ability for its citizens to express themselves. If people still choose to share every single detail, that is their prerogative. However, it is important for children to learn how the internet works and how there are instances where over-sharing has gotten people in trouble with the law, or fired from their jobs. It seems like schools have shied way away from mobile devices and social media because it has gotten students into trouble. It is a mistake, though, to try to rid their school environment of these devices because we are creating a responsibility void. Let’s let the young adults learn how to appropriately use the technology. Let’s teach them how to be present in the moment and not so attached to the device that it is a disruption. There are so many great life lessons that could be taught through teaching young people how to interact with their devices. I already mentioned finding the balance (which would be another great course title), but another valuable life lesson as well: there is a time and a place for everything. Class time? You’re listening. Study hall and your homework is complete? Appropriate time to play a game or check your social media. There are much harsher lessons like accountability and consequences for their actions, that I’m sure districts would have to teach in the more unfortunate uses of technology, but frankly there seems to be a lack of accountability these days so I hope schools would welcome and take on the challenge. How are we supposed to grow and learn if we are not challenging ourselves or our children?
Lastly, and perhaps a little contradictory to my hope for balance, I see our future as having technology more integrated into our lives. I have had a vision of household appliances with glass surfaces being just another place you could get online. When I watched a specific episode of Black Mirror it was one of the most similar examples of what I would expect to see. For those that have never seen this Netflix original, a man woke up in a small square room. The walls were glass tiles that served as a large screen. When his alarm went off the tiles turned into a cute day scene and he was able to turn it off and the tiles would change. When he got out of bed and went to his sink, he could get information up on his mirror and he was able to buy toothpaste. This was a little different from what I envisioned because his glass was motion-sensor, and he did not need to touch the glass to click or move through his options. I pictured touch screen versions of this mirror coming and when you went to get ready in the morning you could pull up the news to watch right there on your mirror, or whatever you wanted to access on the internet. Motion sensors and their interfaces seem like they are developing sooner than I would have pictured so maybe Black Mirror was on to something.
Due to the resistance from some to wear certain technologies or trust technology I think that Augmented Reality is about to take off. I think that for now, while mobile devices might as well be another human appendage, AR is the place to take development. People can bring the augmented reality out when they want it to enhance their actual life and they can easily put it away (no bulky goggles necessary). I think that augmented reality is a part of having a balance between our physical lives and all things digital and digital media. Rather than stepping into an immersive but virtual reality, through AR people will be able to stay in their own reality but add in elements to enrich their experiences.
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