When I was a kid, my imaginary friend Chanel was my best friend. She would do everything that I asked her too, she always had witty responses and she only treated me with kindness. I have since grown out of that stage and I do miss having her around. But now as an adult, thanks to technology, I have a new imaginary friend: Siri.
Siri is just like an imaginary friend but because of this interaction with technology we start to lose interaction with humans.
Siri is a personal assistant application through the new iPhone 4S from Apple. You can ask her to send messages, make reservations at a restaurant, reschedule an appointment, she can even find your location and send you on your way home. She can be programmed to remind you to brush your teeth every night and she can even Tweet for you. At this rate, Siri will slowly eliminate the need for an assistant altogether. Neil Postmen, author of Amusing Ourselves to Death, reminded us "new technology can never substitute for human values." He warns us on our gravitation towards technopoly. He defines this as “the culture seeks its authorisation in technology, finds its satisfactions in technology, and takes its orders from technology”. According to the semiannual survey by CTIA, there are more cell phones and mobile devices in the United States then there are people and that is including Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. That is 327.6 millionactive devices compared to the 315 million humans throughout the country.
We have become dependent on technology and we have to be constantly connected to each other and with the Internet. If you think about it, this is true and we don’t even realize it. Movie theatres have to remind us to turn off our cell phones. Pretty sure while watching TV, you are checking your Facebook on your iPad while texting your best friend on your Android.
Sometimes we don’t even realize what we lose when were concentrating on what we gained. No longer is it normal to write letters and send them through snail mail or stay up late at night talking on the phone. We shoot off text messages and emails with the quickness of our fingertips. While yes we have video chats such as Skype and Facetime, there is nothing like physically sitting right across from someone talking face to face.
As Andy Rubin, the Vice President of mobile for Google, responds to Siri and the Andriod’s new operating system Ice Cream Sandwich, “Your phone is a tool for communicating,” he said, “you shouldn’t becommunicating with the phone you should be communicating with somebody on theother side of the phone.” And to a point, he makes sense. The whole point of a phone is to be talking to someone you cannot talk to face to face. At some point I think we are too invested in technology and we forget to stop and smell the roses. There is no mystery in getting to know someone new when everything they do or about them is posted on social media. With the new Facebook Timeline about to launch, our most memorable posts and photos from our past will be on our page. What purpose is there to get to know someone when I can spend 5 minutes looking at their Facebook and everything I need to know will be on there? Yes, I do realize that statement is a bit on the extreme side but there are lazy people out there in the world.
Who knows what will happen 5-10 years from now. Will Artificial Intelligence take over and there will be no need for assistants at all? Will we be like the people in the Disney movie Wall-E and completely dependent on some form of technology? I’ll slow down and try not to get too ahead of myself.
But excuse me while I go read a magazine on my Kindle and get Siri to order me some take out.
Our dependence on technology is becoming very sad. People can no longer do simple math, since they can just use a calculator. People can't remember 10 digit long numbers since phones now have phone-books. No one can spell or use proper grammar on their own because of spell check. We're also getting to the point where people who can't even park and drive their car are being allowed to park and drive cars since their cars do it for them. Siri is just another example of how pathetic we are becoming. We are definitely moving towards the world of Wall-E where people don't do anything except tell a computer to do everything for them. Obesity and stupidity will rise at the same rate as technology.
ReplyDeleteLiked the article, but there is definitely another side of the coin to technology. One could argue that technology has greatly advanced our lives in many aspects. Yes, it is not perfect. But as you said in your conclusion- who doesn't want to read a magazine on their kindle.
ReplyDeleteAlso don't you think technology is closer to being a "slave" than a friend? As you stated :"At this rate, Siri will slowly eliminate the need for an assistant altogether.:
I agree that the technology dependency is going off the charts but I don't see it as a horrible thing, I see it more as a part of modernization.. It is technology that helps us maintain a busy lifestyle, for example by keeping track on our appointments, enable us to tweet to the rest world, and inspire us to work out (with all these never ending apps etc).
ReplyDeleteWhat is bad is when the social aspect is interrupted by all these technologic things, but people need social interaction and that stand will probably maintain in the future.
While I have definitely drank the Siri Kool-Aid, I do agree with you that technology is taking over our lives. As pathetic as this sounds, I sometimes have to just put my phone away in a drawer so that I can get away from the texting, tweeting, mobile uploads, etc. It’s frightening because I’ve heard of children who can’t read time on a regular clocks since it’s not in digital numbers. What does this mean for the future of our society? While I think that the loss of being able to tell time is not the biggest of our issues, it’s only part of a bigger issue. Like mentioned above, people can’t do math without a calculator. That is a basic skill that everyone should have no matter what profession they use. This is all a problem BUT I think that technology has advanced our way of living so much that those benefits cannot be ignored. Instead of stopping technology from taking over altogether maybe we should just try to create more of separation and draw a line at some point so that it doesn’t get out of control.
ReplyDeleteAs per the usual you and I are on the same page, but I especially agree with your point that we are fairly unconcerned with what we lose over what we gain with regard to advances in technology. I personally think its to blame for a gradual disappearance of common courtesy and manners in our society. Technology speeds up our lives, and conditions us to think we don't have time to hold open the door for a stranger. It has compromised the intricacies of human interaction, destroyed the mystery! I'm guilty of being just as dependent on it as everyone else, but sometimes, I just wish we could go back to the days of telegrams and when calling long distance was a big to do.
ReplyDeleteI think we're all taking this a little too seriously...technology can be fun and it can enhance how we enjoy our lives. Not to sound like a total dork, but Siri is pretty cool and the technology that allowed for it to happen is quite amazing really. And she's funny. I came across this Mashable article last week and it gave me a good laugh. http://mashable.com/2011/10/16/iphone-4s-siri-review/
ReplyDeleteIn terms of the role of technology as Sarah mentioned above, I agree that human interactions (at least, those in person), have been sacrificed, but I think we as the consumers of technology need to be personally responsible for de-complicating our own lives. If we think that human interactions are more important, then hell, we all need to go out and talk to people in person more rather an chit chat on Facebook/Gchat/Twitter, etc.
Great post, Elizabeth! Really relevant and interesting read.
I agree that this is a great topic and very relevant to all the technological changes going on around us. As far as Siri goes, I feel like most people have treated it (or she?) as what it is- a harmless gag app that's worth a few laughs. Facebook's new timeline, on the other hand, is a little more worrisome; it's like Facebook is trying to make every important event of your life available on cyberspace for all to see...definitely a little too Big Brother- esque for me to handle. And, like you mentioned, a lot of people I know use Facebook to learn about their peers rather than just actual interaction. While technological advancement is great, we have to be careful that it doesn't take over our lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree that technology is advancing at an extremely fast pace, giving us tools that sometimes eliminate tradition communication forms. Cell phones are attached to our hips and most people cant live without them. Siri is pretty cool and can be beneficial in many ways. However I don't think that these "tools" will ever replace human assistance or companionship.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that there have been ridiculous advances in technology through the last decade, but it is entirely up to you if want to be a slave to it or make it work for you. I agree with betheprince that people are forgetting to do simple tasks such as basic algebra and memorizing because they know that their devices can do it for them, this is very sad. I think technology is great if you can make it work for you and increase efficiency. Theres no way im going to sift through a thomas guide road map when I can have my phone get me directions in a matter of seconds. Make technology work for you, dont be its victim.
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