I think the readings and video this week where interesting, in that it provides me with a glimpse or direction as to how we might develop technology in the future. I think that the idea of how we might be able to break away from a screen in the future. I like the idea of further developing our technology to our extent but am curious as to how that would appear or work.
I never really previously considered how we might be stuck in the era of cellphones and how the act of using a cellphone both detaches us and connects us with other. At the same time, I don’t see or have difficulty imagining what direction I might want to take technology in the future. Watching the video, Hyper-Reality, was certainly something.
I happened to watch the video while with a friend and couldn’t help my saying how confused and weirded out I was the whole time. After a couple of days, the video lost most of its shock value and felt as thought it were something I had seen before. The video distinctly reminded me of Black Mirror, and I’m not sure how it makes me feel. On the one hand, I think that this type of reality would certainly be interesting and to see technology taken to that extent would be pretty cool. But the reliance on the technology, the fact that this reality essentially gamifies your whole life, where you can restart at a given moment doesn’t sit right with me. Also, I’ve tried to play video games before, I think I’m the type to be super motivated at the beginning only to give up once something doesn’t go my way.
The one thing I think that stood out to me the most was how chaotic everything was. The multiple windows open, the vibrant colors, the questionable ads and virus. I wouldn’t want an ad to pop up at anytime while I was just sitting on a bus or walking around. The technology appears as noise, that you can’t seem to shut out. I think my mind would actually go crazy with that many things pasted in my vision at all times. I can barely stand to have more than a few tabs open on my browser for more than a couple days. I think the implications of having developed technology to this level is fascinating, but there needs to be some form of escape. The moment the virus took over to reveal the world without the lens, the image felt wrong in the lack of details and the need for technology to write everything in.