Tutorial - 31.1.13

Brain in a vat theory? - how scientists do experiments when they insert a specimen into a container. Here, the brain is inserted into the container. Humans can feel things, all because of the brain. The sensations are all in the brains. If the brains are taken out, we are as good as dead. The brain is like a hard disk of the computer.
Hard disk = brain
Computer = human body
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. According to the survey conducted by us, we found out that most people are heavily dependent on technology to carry out their daily activities - work, entertainment, social networking and communicating. Technology has increased efficiency and most of the work is done using technology.

We used technology (website survey) to reach the target audience but did not realize that we are not considering those people who are not tech savy and do not like to use technology. That was one flaw in our survey task.

2. According to the survey conducted by our friends, (open ended questions) results were : (personal experiences of people)

• Emails & mobile phones are most preferred to communicate - whatsapp, bbm, skype, Facebook
• face to face communication is more real - seeing expressions and body languages of people, technology is distracting 
• Booking air tickets online using technology - traveling immediately
• Reading newspapers online
• Education is easier - communication

Queue to buy the Iphone 5 on its launch

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WRITING THE ESSAY

Main question -  

How have developments in digital media and cyber technologies over the past three decades, affected the way you participate in and perceive: The Everyday

What do i need to know? - break it down into sub questions.

OR

How do I categorize my finding in the survey? Does it answer the main question?

OR

Tackle the main question directly?

CONTENT OF THE ESSAY:

• What do I mean by digital media and cyber technologies?
• What are the developments in these two for the past 30 years?
• What is included in Everyday?
• Has it affected lives?
• Does it have pros/cons?
• Branch out the different aspects of everyday in different paragraphs :

1. Communication - connecting with people
2. Entertainment & Movies - 3d, animation, games
3. Work - softwares
4. Social networking - facebook, twitter
5. Medicine - diagnose diseases and treat cancer, people can live more
6. Education - online learning, reading books online, research
7. Traveling - transport, air tickets
8. Daily Chores - cooking, eco friendly technologies

• In the second last para, include the cons of technology to see the reality, and accept the limitations of technology.
• Conclude with technology being of great advantage to mankind

Tutorial - 24.1.13

We played an activity. I was paired with Daniel and he was sent to another room. We had to communicate using technology and know everything about each other. We used facebook chat to talk and exchange information about ourselves and later we were questioned.

We realized that face to face interaction is more effective as reactions can be instant, the body language can be seen, conversations are faster. Technology being faulty or not functioning in between disrupts the flow of conversation between two people but face to face conversation will not.

Thus, though technology has improved lifestyle, the old style of communication seems to be better.

Lecture 3 - Creating ourselves - 21.1.13

CREATING OURSELVES

Creating a facebook account - Social networking. 

Creating an Identity?

IDENTITY:

• The way in which the self is viewed in the community. 
• May have tangible/intangible qualiities.

@ KINDS OF DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY:

• Disrupts the basic forms of technology - for ex , thumb drive replaced the floppy disk
• Technology that changes the status quo - cell phone (disrupts our daily routine by creating more demand)
• Technology creates a market, a necessity that does not exist, and fulfills it itself.

HOW IS IDENTITY SHAPED BY TECHNOLOGY?

1. Disintegration of communal activity:

Enjoyment of music and games - gadgets are improved to do this. But we do not wonder about the change in community.

1950's - Music was a communal activity - concerts, occasion. Digital technology has completely changed this concept now. Same with the function of games. Earlier people has the culture of sitting down with family and play board games - commitment of time. In the digital world, games are played using applications on technology. This can isolate someone even in a crowd. This requires minimal thought and fills small spaces of time. 

2. Image as Identity:

Valerie Lukyanova - She went through a couple of surgeries to make herself look like Barbie.

3. Issues of Anonymity:

Being identity-less

One can freely express views/opinions on social networking sites

4. Alternate modes of communication:

Language is a part of person's identity

Acronyms reflect internet culture - wtf, omg, lol and so on..

Value placed on efficiency rather than quality.

Nothing is really private on the internet.

We don't have the ability to communicate with strangers face to face but we can do it via the internet.

5. Mediated perception of space and time:

The way in which we work and play, we use our time has all been altered.

6. Human as cyborg:

Pop culture

Cyborg is someone who interacts with technology.

Mechanical Technology - is a physical extension of us that helps us the move faster between two destinations.

Digital Technology - cyber / mental extension of technology.

Its a part of our routine and we don't realise it.

6. Technology as status symbol:

Society has created its own demands for cell phones.

Technology has the ability to become makers of class, gender, age and culture.

CCS Tutorial Week 2 - 17.1.13

TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY TO ME IS...

-The technology triangle

ADVANTAGES:

• Makes life easier - cuts down on manual labour
• More facilities and equipments readily available
• Saves time - speedy
• High Efficiency
• Easy and fast way to communicate with people
• Finding information, playing games etc thus access to a wealth of resources

DISADVANTAGES:

• Life has become too dependent on technology
• Man's creativity and traditions have suffered a decline
• Technology has made people lazy and unwilling
• Affected social relations between people
• Creates distraction from work
• One has to be skilled enough to use the technology

I believe that Technology has made my life easier and faster in innumerable ways. However, I am too dependent on it and feel frustrated when it doesn't function at the right time. Moreover, it distracts me from my work and I end up wasting my time. Thus it is a very debatable topic.

THE MASSAGE

"Societies have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than by the content  the communication" - Mc Luhan, 1967.

People do not get excited by the content of the message but by the way (media) the content is delivered.

The content of any subject may be dull and uninteresting but if it is brought to the masses in a unique way, they are attracted to use the resource.

Personally, I believe that both are important. However, the media plays a more important role. We see advertisements of products daily. The products may not be of great quality themselves, but the way (medium) the add is cleverly brought in front of the public, we get influenced and forced to buy it.

QUESTIONS TO ASK IN SURVEY:

What is your age, gender, occupation?

How many hours in a day do you spend using technology?

What kind of work is done using technology?

What technology do you use the most?

and so on...

SURVEY:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9W8M6VR

RESULTS OF THE SURVEY:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/analyze/?survey_id=37701441&OPT=NEW

WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY? - 14.1.13 ( Lec 2)

WHAT IS TECHNOLOGY?

In one word, technology is - Machine. Everywhere. Accessible. Easy.

Earlier, technology was defined as a material (physical) object clearly separate from human beings- as a hardware. Now, in updated dictionaries, technology is interrelated to life, society and environment- exists in vacuum.

Technology has become a concept, a lifestyle we live with. Its no more for the scientists only.

RESEARCHING vs GOOGLING?

          |                                    |

Bigger aspects of things     only part of researching

Technology is clumsy because googling = not finding enough.

There are many more channels to do proper research

THE MEDIUM

Its not anymore about the content but the medium.

How you present/put it. How it reaches to us (the consumers).

THE MASSAGE

SOCIAL MEDIA-  Maximum work that youth do – Reading content, then Viewing photos, videos, Commenting/replying others, Chatting/talking online and so on.

We realize that we talk maximum with our friends via social media, and maximum with our family face to face.

THE SYMPTOMS OF TECHNOLOGY INTOXICATED ZONE:

·      We Quick fix – everything from religion to nutrition

(quick fix may not solve the problem, it might bury it deeper-according to the specific situation)

·      We Fear and worship technology – peer pressure?

Keep updated with technology to show to the world.

“It shapes our choice; it directs our actions” – we want to be fast all the time and are becoming too dependent on technology. If it fails to function then we get frustrated.

·      We Blur the distinction between real & fake  -

TV Buddha (1974) - Nam June Paik – powerful example that illustrates the above.

We Accept violence as normal – should not be worried about violence. Technology has been used for entertainment (video games, visual graphics) – the player of the game enjoys it – violence is hidden in the façade of entertainment. Does this change our approach/perception of violence in real life?

·      We Love technology as a toy – hand phones have become a toy (games)

·      We Live distracted and distanced – Even we are together, we are always busy on our smart phones which distract us from doing what we are meant to.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Using Technology isn’t wrong.

We are the ones responsible to determine how much of technology is to be used in our daily lives. We should do it not because of fear of being left out but because we need it.