Keep Calm & Carry On

In a time of constant stimulus competing for our attention, it can be overwhelming to soak in the surge of messaging at the rate we do today. What information is necessary? What information is not? This week we explore the fundamentals of how technologies affect the way we interact in the social world.

Anthropologist, and worldwide researcher for Calm Technology, Amber Case,opens the conversation around whether more devices are a wise direction for our futures. Case, brings to light that we’re living in, “an era of interruptive technology”, in which we are distracted by invasive notifications that prohibit engagement in our daily activities. She argues that,

“technology shouldn’t require all of our attention, just some of it, and only when necessary, - (Case, 2016).”

THE UE BOOM

This Bluetooth speaker can communicate without direct dialogue, alerting us through other senses, and requires minimum attention as Case suggests with the tea kettle and Roomba vacuum, click the ‘Amber Case’ link above to watch her talk on Calm Technology. The UE boom, signals users in simple and effective ways without being a competitor to a person’s situation. The speaker uses identifiable sounds to communicate on a universal scale, lights up red when the battery is low and encompasses a minimalistic design to avoid distraction from unnecessary features. This can be considered a calm technology and, “a good tool, (Case, 2016).” Case, emphasises Mark Weiser’s vision for the future of technology stating that, ‘good tools are invisible. Thus, the tool does not interfere with your state of mind; the focus remains on the task, not the tool, (Weiser, 1993).’ This is true for this device, as it works in harmony with those interacting with the speaker without interrupting the daily path of users.

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In comparison to these calm technologies, devices with integrated AI systems such as Siri in smartphones and smart watches, and perhaps the UE booms alternative and more invasive speaker, Amazons Echo Dot, are prime examples of ‘the interruptive era, (Case, 2016).’ In an online newspaper, Whigham (2018) reports, “Amazon customers are unplugging their smart speakers and sending complaints to the company after experiencing a really creepy malfunction. (para 1).”The article contains a thread of shocking feedback from users about Amazon’s AI voice system, Alexa, intruding on conversations at inappropriate times with a sinister laugh.

The speaker was released to the Australian public earlier this year with the purpose of completing regular tasks such as giving traffic and weather updates, however, the smart speaker has since scared users with its unsettling presence.

These experiences highlight the intrusiveness of technology now, and pose questions of whether more device are a good idea. Personally, I believe human interaction in the social world should be organic and intuitive in the way that we engage with our surroundings and those in it. Technology, in my opinion, should be used passively and only as a tool. I think that calm technology can indeed soothe our minds from the surge of unnecessary messages by switching to discreet signalling rather than human-like encounters, or simply, just switching off.

Watch this space for my upcoming blog about the great minds behind the devices we use today.