My thesis project for this program focuses on ways to increase computer literacy among the general population. As evidenced by the many writings about humans turning into "cyborgs" and the ways in which technology and society influence one another, it is obvious that we passed the point of cultural acceptance of computers long ago, and there is no turning back from the computerized society. However, many of the people in this new technological society still don't really know how computers work or what they are capable of. This concerns me for two reasons: when people don't have a working understanding of new technologies they tend to have an unnatural fear of what they are capable of, thus stifling the potential progress that can be made through further use of new technology; and on the other side of the coin, ignorance of the potentials of new technology also makes people complacent to their use, leading to the possibility of widespread subversion and abuse of technology that could be difficult to reverse in the future.
With computers, I feel that we have a unique opportunity to expand people's minds because there are so many people out there that use them without fear or understanding, and they are using them to access digital media. Cell phones, PDAs, desktops, laptops, and even MP3 players are all first steps towards the transformation of the human cyborg, and they are all tied together through the internet, by which their users access digital media on a regular basis. What better medium, then, for enlightening people to the choices they are making and the responsibilities they have when they make the choice to become the cyborg?
The goal of my project is to reach people with information about how computers work, what they are capable of, and what their limitations are, using an interactive website containing video, audio, and animated teaching tools. I feel that the choice to advance to the next stage of cyborg humanity should be made consciously, and that that can only happen when one is fully informed of what these new technologies are capable of, because then the choice to subject oneself to both the benefits and harms of cyborg existence is made by the individual, not by the "experts" or the corporate, media, or political groups with something to gain.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
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3 comments:
You might be able to draw from this more macro research on "The Future of Learning Institutions".
Project NML at MIT (http://www.projectnml.org/) works with media literacy, but it would be interesting for you to critique their methods as a way to generate ideas on how you might propagate the knowledge you want to share about computers.
Also see:
Architecture for Cyborgs: laptops and spatial use at MIT
Goldman, Ezra (Ezra Joshua)
Advisor: William Porter.
Department: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning.
http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/40099
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