Visions of the future

After watching this interesting TED talk by Jesse Schell about the current and future direction technology is taking us, I was fairly concerned with his vision.

Jesse talks about how gaming concepts are slowly breaking out into the real world. He mentions many ways in which companies are promoting products through prizes, incentives, or essentially gold stars for behaviour or actions, and believes this is the direction which technology is taking us.

It reminded me of an episode of Black Mirror, a UK TV show which envisions alternative worlds, where technologies have drastically shaped the world in one way or another.

In this particular episode that I was reminded of, called “15 Million Merits”, citizens of the world live in a points system, which they earn by cycling all day. These points are equivalent to todays currency, and are used to purchase everything from food to skipping advertisements on the TV (something which can be seen on apps already).

The fact visions of a similar future have been conceived proves that it isn’t unrealistic. However, this kind of future doesn’t appeal to everyone. Lauren Abbas, fellow Digital Communication student thinks living by a points system is absurd.

“I’m capable of making my own decisions, I don’t need an incentive to eat healthily or save water. It sounds like another way the government could control our decisions or thoughts,” said Abbas.

It has to be said that in the “15 Million Merits” episode the characters are under complete control of the points system, and it is basically impossible to break out, so she may have a point.

In another episode, also set in the near future, characters have had a vision ‘grain’ implanted into their heads which records everything they see, and they are able to play it back whenever they like. On this idea, Lauren has no plans do to anything of the sort if the option became available.

However, she would be willing to partake if you didn’t have to get an implant and could simply… wear glasses… which, are actually a thing.

It is clear that we are on the verge of massive cultural changes through technology, and it is no coincidence that people are sharing similar visions of how it will manifest itself. But, as Lauren alluded to with her comment about government control, we must use these advances for positive change and not as in “15 Million Merits,” make ourselves suffer even more.

The use of Social Media

One of my friends recently shared friends most recent post on their blog through Facebook, which happened to be about social media, named “Retweets, Likes and Double-Taps.” My blog is all about social media so what better chance to share ideas.

The post concerns how social media is being used and what direction it is heading in, after someone posted a Facebook status about buying lunch for a homeless person. I can see where Dan is coming from when he says that this epitomises the “culture of the shallow, self-obsessed,” but I also think… what should someone be posting if not about their good deeds?

It is true that “many have lost sight of what’s truly important in life,”But I don’t think sharing an act of kindness does not fall under that categorization. If a post of that nature accumulates likes, shares or retweets, then surely that shows people DO care.

Of course there is a whole host of entirely superficial posts and tweets regarding “designer trainers, specific cuts of jean and elaborately designed tattoos,” among other things, which only serve to fuel perceptions of a lifestyle which doesn’t really exist.

BUT, there is also a plethora of conscious, thought provoking discussion which takes place on social media at the same time. It isn’t all pure ignorance out there, and it shows, simply by highlighting the problems with social media, that there is consciousness of the situation.

“The ‘relative-fame’ people are quite bizarrely able to achieve through social media platforms” says more about the audience than the people posting these things. It is the duty of the audience, as with all forms of media, to be able to critically analyze whatever it is they are digesting. Unfollowing or removing a friend is just a click away.

I can certainly understand that looking at certain things on the internet can make you lose all faith in humanity. But that just means you are looking in the wrong place. As Dan says, “Society is continuously evolving,” and social media is just one stage in that evolution. While social media may be “truly skewing the essence of existence,” it isn’t the first thing to do so, and it won’t be the last. It is just another realm of life granted to us by technology.

Facebook Corporation

We already know how social media has changed the way traditional media outlets function, but in what direction is it going?

The beauty of the internet is the complete freedom and equality it provides, which was cemented recently (for the near future at least) by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) net neutrality vote.

However, even with net neutrality intact, we are still seeing the influence of money all over the internet. It is imperative for all businesses to keep up with social media to promote products or market themselves, and without an online presence they fall behind.

Facebook is slowly moving on from its original user oriented organic reach, to more ad based paid reach.

Their definition of the difference:

“Organic reach is the total number of unique people who were shown your post through unpaid distribution. Paid reach is the total number of unique people who were shown your post as a result of ads.”

Basically what this means is that Facebook is turning into a tool for big businesses to advertise their products to users. The vast amount of exposure Facebook can give sellers not only to millions of people at once, but specifically to people who may be more interested in their products, has turned it into a goldmine for big business.

Companies have to keep up with social media trends to stay popular and therefore stay in business.

As Jen Goldberg, a digital strategist for ad agency Wieden+Kennedy says in this VICE interview, “In the way that celebrities have to behave like brands, brands are having to behave like celebrities.”

However, these developments are not necessarily a good thing for users or for Facebook. People don’t like feeling like a commodity, and after a survey of users, Facebook has now begun curtailing ‘Overly promotional’ posts.

While sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google try to make the most of their influence and power for monetary gain, the less powerful and influential they become. They are digging up the very foundations upon which they were planted.

According to this article, the future of social media lies away from the giant corporations such as Google and Facebook. Wagner (no relation to Professor Wagner I assume) believes the future lies in smaller, more independent applications which serve more unique functions.

For example, Whatsapp, which Facebook recently purchased, for messaging, Instagram for photos, and Twitter for the news feed. “It makes more sense to focus each individually on a particular experience and make it as good as possible,” says Wagner.

The way technology develops will also play a role in how users interact through social media. You must wade through a plethora of pictures, news and updates on current social media and I believe smaller, more manageable applications like the one Wagner talks about are next in the future of social media.