I really enjoyed how this reading explored the origins of multimedia all the way back to the "birth of cinema" in 1895. Not only does it speak to how far media have come, but it also speaks to how far we've come as media consumers. Once, we were scared of a train moving on a screen. Now, we're interacting with the media in front of us, sometimes convinced that we're controlling it, instead of the opposite, which is more often true.
I was really shocked while reading about "Eliza", the language processing "persona" that served as a digital therapist, created by Joseph Weizenbaum. (Right off the bat, this gave me a really eerie Her vibe, to any of you who might have also made the mistake of seeing that movie!) I can understand how anyone who interacted with "Eliza" could have initially assumed they were in control. However, as human beings, we associate communication with human interaction, even if that may be taking place on a digital platform. That said, despite any previous knowledge of its purely digital existence, communicating with a device that's communicating back could start to mess with your head. This is especially possible considering the idea that with "Eliza", human communication has been broken down and reduced to a mere formula. For me, that really speaks to how we've socially constructed technology in a way that it constructs us right back: "It's surprising how often we forget that the new digital medium is intrinsically procedural...It was designed not to carry static information but to embody complex, contingent behaviors" (Murray). If that's not terrifying, I don't know what is!
While we create these technologies and facilitate their environments, we also participate in and interact with these media. This is yet another reason why so much emphasis is placed on being media literate in today's culture. The more we know about what we're creating, affecting and inducing, the less we allow it to deceive or misguide us.
I never saw the film Her but I heard it was a bit spooky to watch in that it had the same points which you discussed in your post. the main character in the film had a strong relationship with his computer and relied on it, similar to the story of Eliza where she offered therapeutic advice to those who interacted with her. I like the quote you added in too because it really ties in to the issue of what we expect digital technology to do and what it can't do: have human qualities. This happens when we create or interact in a digital environment, what occurs there does not have human interactions or behaviors that there may be expectations for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. It did remind me of that movie and how creepy it can be. I like how you talk about the importance of being informed and aware of the formulas behind technology. Because, after all, as humanlike as it is, it is still a set of calculations.
ReplyDeleteThe role of the human is definitely important to think about. We often feel that we are the ones controlling the technology even when the technology is prompting us to do things or make a choice from a limited set of options. This plays into how we react to our digital environments and, as you mentioned, can definitely become murky when we form too close of a connection with these environments.
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