There are powerful narratives being told about the impact of technology on our lives. This is influencing the way we behave and the way we will remember this time in the years to come.
These narratives tell us that we are at a moment of extraordinary technological change and that this change is happening faster than ever before. It is creating an unprecedented explosion in the availability and dissemination of information and with more information comes more power and potential to shift our life trajectories in profoundly positive or negative ways.
But have we got this right? Have these narratives been exaggerated? Are we reacting with in-kind hyperbole? In this month’s discussion, we will explore some alternative narratives and discuss their plausibility. Is the adoption rate of new technology actually happening as quickly as we think? Are we mistaking technology consumption for technology innovation? Contrary to living in an era with information readily at our fingertips, is the digital age actually making our access to (and the durability of) information more fragile now than ever before? Who gets to control our digital memory?
Optional reading (20 minutes)