2014 IE Application- Social Interaction SJW
- 1. Social interaction within 10 years, taking into consideration the impact of technology on human relations - Sep 2014, Seb Wilkinson
- 2. 1.0 Presentation Brief This presentation addresses the subject of social interaction and the impact of technology on human relations through the following: 2.0 Definitions of social interaction and technology 3.0 History of technology in facilitating and catalysing social interaction 4.0 Anticipated technological innovations 5.0 Megatrends in social interaction over the next 10 years 5.1 Broad & Shallow social interaction 5.2 Commercialisation of the personal 5.3 Societal Awareness 6.0 Technology as a double-edged sword 7.0 Summary
- 3. 2.0 Intro Definitions and Subject Delineation • Technology is ‘the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes’- Oxford Dictionary • ‘Social Interaction’ is any relationship between two or more individuals. Repeat interaction results in social organisation, which produces patterned power relationships • Power - the ability to influence or control the behaviour of others - exists in all relationships. Technology facilitates the projection of power across broader and deeper social channels. As technology develops, a revised distribution of power will emerge Political Private Economic Technology Information Communication Transport Individuals Technology Institutions & Relationships
- 4. 3.0 History of Technology in Social Interaction • Throughout history technology has been catalytic in facilitating cultural, social and economic evolution- be that in the form of a sharp stone implement for engraving, or a hypothesised bio-tech solution Storytelling, Dance & Ritual 198,000 – 68,000 BC 38,000 BC Earliest Cave Paintings 800 BC Greek Alphabet 1450 AD Automated Printing (Gutenberg) Movable Type Printing (Bi Cheng) 1040 AD 1844 AD Telegraph 1876 AD Telephone 1989 AD WWW ? 1971 AD Emails
- 5. 4.0 Anticipated Technological Innovation Tablets Arduino: objects notifying people? HOLOGRAPHICSOPTICAL PATTERNS SOFTWARE HARDWARE PRESENT<10YRS TABLETS SMART CLOTHING Successive waves of technological innovation will continue to reshape social interaction: • Social media will remain the dominant driver of social interaction, with hardware enriching the accessibility of social networks and information. Social networks will react to and inform the demand for social interaction • Consider the following 3 hypothetical yet plausible hardware developments: 1. A sensor based on a remote beach tweets the latest surf conditions 2. A man walks into a bar and has the relationship status of adjacent woman via facial recognition 3. Real-time communication between holograms renders business meetings more personal and productive than a video-link In recent times software developments have been the primary driver of hardware innovation, albeit with some feedback loops. Previously state incentivised security-focused innovation would drip-down to consumers; now consumer led innovations are taken up by the state
- 6. 5.1 Megatrend #1 Broad & Shallow Social Interaction • Each day, time, attention and emotion are finite resources. A critical mass of ‘connections’ exists, after which the marginal utility of an additional connection is negative i.e. we exchange quality relationships for a quantity of additional connections • Reduced face-to-face communication allows deletion, editing and manipulation of our image i.e. we are able to ‘keep up appearances’ at the expense of ‘this is me, take it or leave it’ relationships. At its extreme, ‘Catfish’* will become more common • Always being ‘switched-on’ provides constant interaction and information at the expense of understanding self and reflecting on relationships “ The quantity of relationships leaves people feeling qualitatively empty” - Sherry Turkle The aforementioned proliferation of social networks, smart devices and new media paradoxically generate more connections at the expense of weaker relationships: * Catfish are people who lead an alternative life online, creating a fully falsified identity for online communication and relationships with others
- 7. 5.2 Megatrend #2 Commerialisation of the Personal “We are the thing that Facebook has of value. We are the only thing they have to sell…” - Douglas Rushkoff • Incredulity at social media valuations* matured to admiration, as critics understood the value of personal data. As individuals begin to appreciate the market value of their own data, the following takes place: - The creation of personal data banks, exchanges and brokers; here personal information is exchanged or licensed in a transaction, bringing a revenue stream to the individual • Social mobility increases as individuals commercialise their own personal details as well as take advantage of the relatively low barriers to entry that exist in the online economy - The market value of personal data depends upon the ‘Net Influence’ exerted by the individual in society. Individuals will look to increase their social footprint via more posts and connections. Purely social connection requests are be met with increasing scepticism • Utilising socially connected devices, individuals generate a monopoly over their most prized commodity: attention. This allows attendance at several concurrent meetings to avoid entrapment in perceived irrelevance * The Facebook and Twitter IPO’s were valued at x22 and x16 multiples respectively
- 8. 5.3 Megatrend #3 Societal Awareness “ …the networked population is gaining greater access to information, more opportunities to engage in public speech, and an enhanced ability to undertake collective action…” - ‘Foreign Affairs’ Magazine, Feb 2011 • A counter-culture develops with elements that permeate the mainstream: - ‘No Media Areas’: zones where the use of digital technology is prohibited e.g. many members clubs in London already prohibit the use of digital devices in certain rooms - The decline of face to face interaction increases its value and people actively seek out forums at which to meet others in person • Planned periods of ‘digital escape’ to avoid the fatigue associated with never being disconnected from others People become acutely conscious of the impact of technology on their social interaction: • With socialisation and identity formation moving online, many political and economic institutions will look to utilise or manipulate online social interaction in order to retain traditional boundaries. The ‘Arab Spring’ illustrate a shift in power away from traditional sources and boundaries, whilst the Facebook and Google policies of the ruling party in China evidence attempts to manage and curtail this trend
- 9. 6.0 Double Edged Sword It will not be the technology that generates the aforementioned trends and issues, rather the response of individuals and society to these innovations. The utility of technology is determined in its application by the agent. Consider the below examples: Cherri: - Spends more time caring for her online avatar than for her son - Doesn’t speak with her parents who live in the next town as they lack a device with which to digitally communicate - Sleeps 3 hours per night as she responds to emails from her virtual team - Made $50 selling her ‘WoW’ character to another online player, using the proceeds to download a new series recommended by Netflix Tony: - Spends a lot of time with family as he is able to work flexibly from home - Has strong relationships with grandparents as medical and technological innovations have permitted longevity of life - Although his wife works away most of the week, they communicate face to face each morning - Has joined and regularly blogs within a global community collecting ‘Penny Black’ stamps Utility from social interaction HighLow
- 10. 7.0 Final Remarks • Technology has creatively destroyed and reformed social norms, structures and power relationships and this will continue• People will become more connected but in the absence of meaningful and “messy” relationships • Data prices will become more expensive as individuals realise the personal revenue that can be generated• Institutions will use social media to influence perception and preference; countered by individuals improved awareness of their susceptibility to manipulation and the potential pitfalls of the new technology • Deep social interaction is of great emotional utility, filtering down to physical and economic benefits. Diverse uses of evolving technology will widen societal gaps in terms of emotional wellbeing