Week 3: Response to David Rose – Jennifer Cheung

Technology has brought so many advancements in our lives, but many of these developments happen on screens through our phones and laptops. However, Rose uses thoughtful design to improve our daily interaction with ordinary things through enchanted objects. The range of objects that he tweaked and introduced is very expansive, making these objects accessible to all kinds of people. Connections made with fictional objects was particularly interesting. Usually we assume these fictional magical objects to be completely out of reach from reality, but enchanted objects prove that the right technology is the only magic necessary. The separation between fictional worlds and our reality decreases, and the constraints of objects we encounter daily are further removed. 

While watching the presentation, I couldn’t help but wonder why I hadn’t heard of many of these objects before, since their functions seem so helpful. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that while these objects are indeed extremely helpful in making everyday tasks easier, I wouldn’t necessarily want all the things around me to become enchanted. Putting batteries and LEDs into everything makes technology unavoidable. Society is already so dependent on tech like phones and laptops. When I finally turn away from my screens, I don’t necessarily want to still be plugged in when I’m using a common household item. These objects are extremely handy and have the capacity to enhance our lives, but I also think they may compromise the authenticity of how we live. Sometimes, we need to work and struggle to improve ourselves on our own, instead of having everything made too much simpler.

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