The first video is entitled Technology. I define technology as the creation or evolution of an object or process that brings about an easier or more efficient result. With this video, I aimed at highlighting the various ways technology has made our lives easier or more efficient. Additionally, I wanted to juxtapose the fact that while some places around the globe are becoming more and more technologically advanced, others continue to live their lives with technology that has become our past.
In the second video, entitled The Evolution of Technology I wanted to create a strong narrative and message without using dialogue. The video begins with peaceful music and footage depicting the beginnings of technology. Next, complicated machinery and artifacts from the industrial revolution came to become the newest technology. Then, I wanted to portray a sort of dark side of technology, and what our world could become. Personally, I believe that a sort of mindless technologic revolution could occur, one in which progress is made for the sake of pushing boundaries heedlessly and without thought. A world in which all we do is create without thought for consequences. I wanted to show this with one of the creepiest ideas I believe has come out of this technologic age, and that is the idea of robots or androids. My father was a robotic technician when I was a child, and he was always bringing home state of the art robots to show us. Back then it was exciting because these robots had purposes, such as cleaning the house or creating other machines. But when I see videos of androids whose only purpose is to be as human as possible, it makes me question the idea of aimless technology.
In my third video, The Evolution of Society I wanted to make a social critique of a negative side of technology. This footage is one minute long with no video or auditory edits, and shows an exhausted, out of shape man surrounded by technology. If one was ever to use the phrase "waste of space" this video would be the poster child.
I have some trepidation that in the near future people will become socially inept due to their increasing time spent with solitary technology. Not only will they become socially inept, but they will become physically ill due to stimulation without processing the technologic stimuli they are surrounded by, because they have no interaction with the people around them.
The influence of technology to the human mind:
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| Killed by Technology |
On a lighter yet similar vein of thought, I have always loved this clip of Homer Simpson evolving through eons into a man, in order to sit on his couch and watch television:
4 comments:
From what I perceived through your videos, it seems that you believe the relationship between technology and society represents a negative outcome. The two cannot sustain a positive relationship. While technology is advancing more and more rapidly, although it is helping the society, it is also deteriorating us humans. Just as your last video "Evolution of Society" depicts, humans are starting to depend and trust more on technology than nature.Hence, without us realizing it, technology is becoming a part of us gradually and will soon take over us when we are unable to catch up with it.
I, too, have always questioned the concept of aimless technology. It is true that we are where we are today thanks to technology. Many aspects of our lives have become so efficient! However, a lot of research effort put in robot invention is questionable to me. The other summer, I went to Toyota museum, and saw a robot perform a real trumpet. Obviously, he was able to hit the highest note, hitting perfect pitch with ideal vibrato. They even showed a video clip of the robot performing a concerto in front of an entire human symphony orchestra. Being a musician myself, however, I just could not be moved by its performance. There was no heart, and I just did not see the purpose of this. How much do we want and expect from technology? I know for sure that giving up musicianship is not one of them.
Alaina, I think that your videos, especially "The Evolution of Society" really shine a light on the effect technology has on many (though not all) people. It's true that it can be used for good and for bad, but you did a great job of showing the bad, or at least questionable side of it. The video shows how technology can totally cut somebody off from what is right in front of them, and can allow them to easily descend into a constant need for overstimulation. I also thought that the video you posted about homer simpson was hilarious and very telling.
Sometimes I think about how technology is making communication more easy and more commonplace, bringing so many things into the collective consciousness. Is it possible that humanity is heading toward a more unified existence because of this, and would this be a good or bad thing? I often wonder about these things.
Your videos tap into the range of technology from baking to the atom bomb to laptops making viewers more aware as the images graciously slide by.
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