Journal 2 Thanisorn

Discussion points

After I’ve read and watched Humane Tech video. There are many interesting points that I agree with the points. For the first article, the people behind your tech addiction are now trying to curb. I was interested in how they mentioned the point that said “Smartphone and tablet use has also seen a dramatic increase among children. Among children ages 0–8, 98 percent lived in homes with some kind of mobile device in 2017, compared to 52 percent in 2011.” I agree with this and as we know that the technology is growing rapidly. All tech companies start to grow in which they improve it every year. It is actually happening right now. I still remember during my timeline when I was a kid. All I can do is to just go play outside on a sunny day with my neighbors. All my time spending on playing with my friends and a fun little kids sport. However, it is really changed now and it would be more problematic in the future. I would like to also quote one interesting point in the article that said: “Anything that induces pleasure has, at its extreme, addiction.” This is so true. A mobile phone has developed into a smartphone. Then, it is started to expand into Applications that creator trying to make software that would be easier to use in a smartphone. However, most famous applications make a great attraction by logically creating their Apps that make people addicted to its design by providing pleasure while interacting with the Apps.

I also went through the article the internet is a force of nature. I found an important message that reminded me of the same consequence that I did before. it said “Every app and online service you sign up for requires you agree to their terms of service. Just think of the hundreds of contacts you’ve automatically checked the “agree” box on over the years. These agreements are long, legal, and variable. No one reads the fine print. Most don’t have the expertise to understand all the legal implications even if they did.” After reading this context, I realized how easily I let myself into an online service and not even realizing how those agree boxes would do any action to me. Not even the terms of contracts. It is how people ignore the important when it is a piece of large information that asks you to read through and agree with it. It would take a long time to finish it and this would make displeasure feeling towards yourself and you would just click on the box to finish it.

In the Humane Tech Video, I’ve learned several points on how scary and disgusting on how these online companies trying to trick us and selling our information and data unknowingly. They have no right to sell my locations, my online activities, or my favorites to online advertising companies. Not only that but it just feels like all our security in these famous websites are just something not important or objects that the companies just gather more to sell it and make a profit to their companies.

Common 2 or 3 Tech/Apps

Tech: AirPods by iPhone

they are wireless Bluetooth earbuds created by Apple.

Apps: Snapchat

Snapchat lets you easily talk with friends, view Live Stories from around the world, and explore news in Discover. Life’s more fun when you live in the moment!

Ledger of Harm Issues

Attention, Mental Health, Relationships, Democracy, Children and, Do Unto Others.

Let look at the tech first.

AirPods by iPhone.

Attention:  I would say with the attention point. AirPods did not make much distract to the user. It is kind of a support device that helps the user working on their attention instead. In the case, it did not push away the focus of the users much.

Mental health: Not really did much on mental health. However, it allows the user to freely enjoy the music without getting distracted as it is wireless ear pods. Enjoying music or listening to a peaceful song would help the user mental health.

Relationships: It is quite interesting that ear pods kept away people from forming a relationship. In the case, the user will start creating their own space. By wearing them and listening to the songs. It actually creates a void space.

Democracy: Not really have to do much with democracy as it is working as hearing devices.

Children: I would say that it affects a young generation as the product is quite expensive 159$ in total. If it is a trend and children will start to spend money on that without knowing how difficult their parent make money for them.

Do Unto Others: Not really affects much. I feel like that is still a portable and friendly product. However, there are many alternative products that are cheaper and more consumable.

Evaluation via Design Guide six elements and/or Hari’s natural “anti-depressants”

1. community: It is helpful in the community, making life easier with wireless, portable earphone buds.
2. meaningful values: Hearing devices that have a good design and friendly to the users.
3. meaningful work: It is a great design and not distract users. They can use it anywhere and anytime.
4. interaction with the natural world: Users still be able to interact with other things even when they wear it.
5. respect for who you are and what you do: Good enough!
6. access to a secure future: Privacy and using Bluetooth.
7. healing from past violence: Better than wired earphone of how portable and not distract while wearing.
8. health and physical pleasure (my addition): Does not affect health or physical pleasure much.

Redesign suggestions to fit humane tech criteria

Nothing much to redesign but I would say the price could be lesser and more into average customers. Maybe redesign more in how they can interact with new people or making a new friend or helpful and protected.

Apps: Snapchat

Attention: Snapchat is one of the Apps that creating a distraction to the users. As the Apps is actually designed to please people by allowing them to send photos, messages in a cool way. It is most popular in a teenager. This Apps makes people look at it or sometimes even wait for the notification or someone to interact with.

Mental health: Depression or sadness can occur. In my opinion, Snapchat is expanding more in a teenager field. Mostly teenager has unstable thoughts and decision in which this would create a bigger problem or mental health to them in such away.

Relationships: Good and Bad in a different way. Good is that you might keep relation with a person that you met with this Apps or even find a new friend. However, it could end up badly according to how the users deal with their relationship.

Democracy: It could be something bad if people started to not respect other privacy and taking other pictures and making fun of them or did something bad or even for their benefits. Could even destroy one’s life.

Children: It is really dangerous for a new generation. It might even end up like sex-traffic, pedophile, or predators to lure those kids as they can fake their identity, profiles to interact with them.

Do Unto Others: In my opinion, they would tell your youngsters to stay away from it unless they feel confident enough to beware of things surrounding them. Things can end up badly.

Evaluation via Design Guide six elements and/or Hari’s natural “anti-depressants”

1. community: great Apps to interact with social media and society.
2. meaningful values: Photos can be accessed and easier to memory.
3. meaningful work: mostly for satisfaction and fun.
4. interaction with the natural world: Could make the user spend too much time on the Apps.
5. respect for who you are and what you do: Might not work well.
6. access to a secure future: Privacy and data might not be secured in this case, not recommend to put much own identity.
7. healing from past violence: Might help in case of fun and time-wasting.
8. health and physical pleasure (my addition): Distraction and eyes problem.

Redesign suggestions to fit humane tech criteria

This Apps is making a huge profit and could be better with privacy, how to screen the users making sure there is not someone who tries to lure others.  Age restriction? Addiction and pleasure how to take it away that will make the Apps friendly.