New Scientist Article: The High Cost of Being Digital
https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23331120-900-the-high-cost-of-being-digital/
Quote from former CEO Google about their aims in relation to data collection and analysis:
“we know more or less what you are thinking about”. This would offer a “new future [in which] you’re never lost… never lonely… never bored… never out of ideas”
Main Points:
-aspects of are online lives are being collected and analysed so as to further the effectiveness of websites/search engines/products etc.
-this has ultimately impacted upon the way in which we interact with online information and technology
-has led to a fundamental shift in our experience of the world
-huge shift to products and services that focus on convenience, ie Amazon Prime, Contact less Payment, Netflix etc
- this has led to a backlash/fear that data companies now have to much of an impact on the more intimate choices of our day to day lives
-also that too much of what we do is being monitored and analysed for the sake of increasing the profits of big business rather than for our own benefits
My thoughts
The ideas discussed in this article relate quite nicely to those in the New States Man article. This is in that the main focus here is that we are no longer seen as individuals but nearly numbers and statistics to be analysed and evaluated to further develop the technological world.
However in the previous article this more expressed in something outside of human control, that technology itself was becoming its own entity, where as in this article it takes a more Marxist standpoint in that it is more saying we are being used to further the interests of big business than technology itself.
Thursday 9 March 2017
New States Man Article: The Keyboard and the Spade
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/12/keyboard-and-spade
Physical impact upon ourselves
-use of modern technology has damages our bodies in ways we don't realise
-in hard manual labour its obvious how it effects us but with modern technologies, for example typing we don't realise the damage it does to us, in this case serious tendon damage
-can no longer easily carry out basic tasks of human survival such as cultivating and harvesting food
Environmental Impact
-living in industrialised, mass produced consumer societies we are so far removed from the methods of production that it is hard to do anything without having a negative impact on the environment.
-in the example given by the article, simply using tools bought from a shop, ultimately produced in and shipped from a factory on a different continent, would have had a more detrimental impact on the environment than the good they tried to do by planting a saplings
Nature of human development
-argues the idea of technology is a recent thing (post 1800s), although we have used tools for 1000s of years these were seen as nothing more than a sum of their parts
-technology on the other hand it argues is a 'living force' which actively controls our destinies
-this is due to technology being a 'systematic order' of tools which take over functions previously carried out by humans
-due to this we now have a vast and delicate network or 'technological web' upon we now which rely to carry out our day to day lives
-there is a symbiotic or dependent nature between us and technology
Singularity
-begins to talk about the theory that at some point technology will surpass human intelligence creating a new phase of human development/evolution
-will be able to augments body parts to expand day to day functions and even our mental capacities
-theoretically virtual reality will reach a point that we will be to discontent from the real world completely
My thoughts on the article
Although the last part of the article relating to the theory of the technological singularity was very interesting, visually I am more interested in exploring the idea of human dependence on technology. This is due to my own personally feelings on technology given that I am something of a Luddite and perpetual worrying leading to an often more negative and in some ways backwards view on the potential effects of technology.
I find the idea of technology now being self perpetuating in that we are now so dependent on it that we can't help but further it particularly interesting if not a little frightening.
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2015/12/keyboard-and-spade
Physical impact upon ourselves
-use of modern technology has damages our bodies in ways we don't realise
-in hard manual labour its obvious how it effects us but with modern technologies, for example typing we don't realise the damage it does to us, in this case serious tendon damage
-can no longer easily carry out basic tasks of human survival such as cultivating and harvesting food
Environmental Impact
-living in industrialised, mass produced consumer societies we are so far removed from the methods of production that it is hard to do anything without having a negative impact on the environment.
-in the example given by the article, simply using tools bought from a shop, ultimately produced in and shipped from a factory on a different continent, would have had a more detrimental impact on the environment than the good they tried to do by planting a saplings
Nature of human development
-argues the idea of technology is a recent thing (post 1800s), although we have used tools for 1000s of years these were seen as nothing more than a sum of their parts
-technology on the other hand it argues is a 'living force' which actively controls our destinies
-this is due to technology being a 'systematic order' of tools which take over functions previously carried out by humans
-due to this we now have a vast and delicate network or 'technological web' upon we now which rely to carry out our day to day lives
-there is a symbiotic or dependent nature between us and technology
Singularity
-begins to talk about the theory that at some point technology will surpass human intelligence creating a new phase of human development/evolution
-will be able to augments body parts to expand day to day functions and even our mental capacities
-theoretically virtual reality will reach a point that we will be to discontent from the real world completely
My thoughts on the article
Although the last part of the article relating to the theory of the technological singularity was very interesting, visually I am more interested in exploring the idea of human dependence on technology. This is due to my own personally feelings on technology given that I am something of a Luddite and perpetual worrying leading to an often more negative and in some ways backwards view on the potential effects of technology.
I find the idea of technology now being self perpetuating in that we are now so dependent on it that we can't help but further it particularly interesting if not a little frightening.
Huffington Post Article: Why Social Media Isn't social
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-white/why-social-media-isnt-social_b_3858576.html
Main Points:
Social media as a mask
-make your life seem much better to others than it actually is
-often takes the form of bragging but can morph in to straight up lying
-creates unrealistic expectations of our selves and others
-cultivates a culture in which constantly check upon what others are doing and worry about how others perceive us
Social Media/Internet Animosity as a shield
-anymosity of the internet allows people to make unfiltered opinions/abusive comments without fears of repercussions
-allows us to avoid/simplify difficult conversations or problems we face in our day to day lives in a way which is unproductive and often harmful
-ie can ignore an important text or call, scroll through your phone in social situations, send passive aggressive messages etc
-ultimately leads to a break down in communication by skirting real life interaction for an easier alternative
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thomas-white/why-social-media-isnt-social_b_3858576.html
Main Points:
Social media as a mask
-make your life seem much better to others than it actually is
-often takes the form of bragging but can morph in to straight up lying
-creates unrealistic expectations of our selves and others
-cultivates a culture in which constantly check upon what others are doing and worry about how others perceive us
Social Media/Internet Animosity as a shield
-anymosity of the internet allows people to make unfiltered opinions/abusive comments without fears of repercussions
-allows us to avoid/simplify difficult conversations or problems we face in our day to day lives in a way which is unproductive and often harmful
-ie can ignore an important text or call, scroll through your phone in social situations, send passive aggressive messages etc
-ultimately leads to a break down in communication by skirting real life interaction for an easier alternative
Initial Ideas
Having decided to go with the editorial branch of applied illustration I need to think of a specific subject matter on which to base my work. This needs to:
- something I am strongly interested so as to effectively engage with it
-have enough depth to produce a sustained, developed and fully realised project in response to
-not be too vague or overarching so as to result in and unyielding project which I cant realistically complete - this is something I need to particularly bare in mind as at time in 1st year I over thought certain modules and aimed to explore subjects/themes that I realistically couldn't within the space of time we has
With all this in mind I am thinking of looking into the effects of technology on modern life. This is something I have a strong interest and think that there is a lot of articles/information being written upon it at the moment given its relevance in age of smartphones/internet/social media etc.
Furthermore there are a lot of different strands for me to research with regards to this such as effects on social interaction, jobs/work, memory/attention etc alowing for a lot of depth of research but at the same time allows for me to be able to hone in on something specific.
Having decided to go with the editorial branch of applied illustration I need to think of a specific subject matter on which to base my work. This needs to:
- something I am strongly interested so as to effectively engage with it
-have enough depth to produce a sustained, developed and fully realised project in response to
-not be too vague or overarching so as to result in and unyielding project which I cant realistically complete - this is something I need to particularly bare in mind as at time in 1st year I over thought certain modules and aimed to explore subjects/themes that I realistically couldn't within the space of time we has
With all this in mind I am thinking of looking into the effects of technology on modern life. This is something I have a strong interest and think that there is a lot of articles/information being written upon it at the moment given its relevance in age of smartphones/internet/social media etc.
Furthermore there are a lot of different strands for me to research with regards to this such as effects on social interaction, jobs/work, memory/attention etc alowing for a lot of depth of research but at the same time allows for me to be able to hone in on something specific.
505 - Applied Illustration
Study Task 1
1 Thing I will take forward from 504
Having completed 504 one of my main downfalls was considering the context of my work, I hope to move this forward in 504 and begin to properly research and understand where and by whom I want my work to be viewed and how I can reflect upon and produce work in response to this.
1 way in which I will push myself
I aim to push the communication aspect of my work even further in 505. Although I think I begun to successfully communicate ideas and themes within my printed pictures work I still have a long way to go to produce work that is both evocative and effective in its communication of my intended themes and ideas.
1 thing I want to achieve by May
Given how much I enjoyed the process of print, particularly screen printing, I aim to further build upon and advance these skills in 505. I now have a strong understanding of two colour print process, particularly with regards to making a third colour and am now interested in pushing my work into 3 or maybe even 4 colour prints something which I had wanted to do for a while but was unable to try given the limitations of the last module.
Study Task 1
1 Thing I will take forward from 504
Having completed 504 one of my main downfalls was considering the context of my work, I hope to move this forward in 504 and begin to properly research and understand where and by whom I want my work to be viewed and how I can reflect upon and produce work in response to this.
1 way in which I will push myself
I aim to push the communication aspect of my work even further in 505. Although I think I begun to successfully communicate ideas and themes within my printed pictures work I still have a long way to go to produce work that is both evocative and effective in its communication of my intended themes and ideas.
1 thing I want to achieve by May
Given how much I enjoyed the process of print, particularly screen printing, I aim to further build upon and advance these skills in 505. I now have a strong understanding of two colour print process, particularly with regards to making a third colour and am now interested in pushing my work into 3 or maybe even 4 colour prints something which I had wanted to do for a while but was unable to try given the limitations of the last module.
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