where digital technology intersects with people
Facebook magnificently bungled up its recent communication on WhatsApp’s new T&Cs. A pop-up appeared last week to warn users that WhatsApp will be passing private information over to Facebook, and users have until 8th February to agree, otherwise they will be shut out of the service. But is this just a storm in a teacup?
There’s nothing like a crisis to make the impossible possible. The economy had a near-total shutdown. We learned to live socially cut off. And then friends met for virtual happy hour, pop quizzes, concerts and more. Was technology pulling people together, rather than pushing us apart? Is screen time good now?
“Fake News” is a red herring. The digital revolution has produced something more pernicious that is tearing at the very fabric of our society.
Remember the “Dial-up Connection”? We have gone from “Always Connected” to “Always Trackable” to “Predictable” and finally to “Manipulable” in the space of 11 years. Think you have free will? Think again.
We have never been more connected in the history of mankind. And yet, ironically, we have never been more polarised as a society, living in silos.
Social media ignited a volatile cocktail of our innate human biases.
In giving up our privacy we made a Faustian deal with GAFAM and we risk swapping our souls for the gain of “convenience”. But what have we lost in return?
The Digital Revolution has created staggering opportunities but also created a "Knowledge Divide". How do we master the Knowledge Economy and give equal opportunity to all? How do we become socially active, participative members of society, judiciously using these new capabilities to secure a bright future of our democratic society? Three things need to happen.
My hands became tired. My muscles ached. My handwriting started to deteriorate. It took me an hour to finish two pages.
It's only been 10 years, and yet our lives have changed beyond all recognition.
What does it mean for Society? What does it mean for Business? What does it mean for you?
No I'm not serous. Well maybe just a little. Digital photography is so liberating. What's there not to like? And yet...
I like taking Uber. But it's not because it's cheaper than traditional taxis. That would be missing the point.
