I’ve always thought that one of the
main reasons why older people are reluctant to learn how computers work is
because technology is intimidating. Change in general frightens people, but
technology in particular presents many obstacles to older users. Computers
represent an entire new language- not literal programming languages, which are
even more obtuse to the layperson, but a language of interaction. Even with all
the helpful metaphors of modern user interfaces (I wonder what the Recycle Bin
icon is for?), most interfaces share common elements, and without a working
vocabulary of technological tropes it may be difficult for users to navigate
them. For example, even though I’ve never used a Mac before, I doubt I would
have any trouble learning how to use one. Skills learned through using one
device easily transfer to another, even if they are completely different.
People fear technology because it
is empowering. Information is only as empowering as people are able to act, and
technology enables them to act. It strengthens oppressors and the oppressed
without discrimination. In a post-Snowden world, anxieties about government surveillance
are at an all-time high. People are learning of the ways in which technology
companies such as Google and Facebook are treating our personal data. We now
assume that all our personal communication is no longer personal, and we’re
right. Devices such as drones are feared for their potential in domestic surveillance.
Misuse of technology is certainly not limited to businesses or government
organizations either. Now any child with a computer is capable of disrupting
website traffic through DDoS attacks or grounding an airplane with a single
Tweet.
Technology is also intimidating
because, without a technical background, the tried Arthur C. Clarke quote –
that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic – is actually
true. Recently, the city of Kinshasa in the Congo, the task of directing
traffic has been delegated to robots. When the traditional traffic lights and
cameras failed, and the traffic police has a reputation for being corrupt and
accepting bribes, the city resorted to robots that perform the same task. And
it’s actually working. Standing at over eight feet tall, the robot is fitted
with four cameras and transmits its information to a center where it can be
analyzed for infractions. Some criticize these “robocops,” saying that, unlike
real cops, they are unable to intervene in the event of a dangerous conflict.
However, motorists report that the traffic situation has actually improved.
One likely explanation for drivers’
compliance with the robots, rather than traffic lights, is that they evoke this
fear of technology. Even if drivers don’t know how traffic lights work
technically, they know that they only have the capability to change colors. These
robots serve as a constant reminder that the motorists are being watched. This
effect is much stronger than it is with human police officers or traffic
cameras because it is reminiscent of a dystopian science fiction film. Their
presence is somewhat threatening and commands attention, unlike traditional
traffic cameras, which are intentionally hidden.
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