Today’s Thinking Club took a more philosophical stance, inspired by a TED Talk on ‘Genes, Memes and Temes’ by Susan Blackmore. We used her hypothesis as our jump-point: Technology is replicating itself and angling for world dominance.
Our attention focused on the blogosphere. In the course of today’s casual conversation we traversed the subject of technology-driven communication platforms.
Why do we blog?
I regularly trawl fellow bloggers for ideas. I also read books, magazines, chat to strangers, listen to the radio, watch TV. In fact I am an absolute information junkie. Except for the odd exceptional novel and outstanding post, its all grazing. But generally with a purpose. I choose a topic and read briefly but widely about it.
1. To explore themes
It’s the same when I blog. Before I ever put finger to keyboard, I thought for many years about what I would blog about. What I would write about, what focus I could bring, what conversations I could start. For myself and for my readers I needed a theme and a direction. So I blog to provoke thoughts about idea generation the written word: how they affect and drive both marketing communications and social development.
2. To share
Dan on the other hand casts a much wider net. His Shoebox Creative blog, is subtitled: Daily observations from dan day, a designer*. Whatever is running around Dan’s head is what he writes about. His subject matter varies from a scientific view of stress, to inspired design works, to a running commentary on our weekly hacky-sack sessions.
3. To connect
While it seems that we come from contradictory start points, the underlying reason we all blog is ultimately the same: we need to connect; feel heard and understood.
So whether its using Facebook, SMS, email, Twitter, IM, even good old phones, letters, or – God forbid – an old fashioned face-to-face catchup, ultimately we communicate to connect. To feel good. To feel wanted. To feel needed. To be heard.
This is what traditional theories of communication and sociology espouse anyway. Susan Blackmore disagrees.
Her explanations of memetics proposes a third tier of replication: technology multiplication. The first tier of this paradigm is based on gene theory, as introduced by Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Evolution notes that genes replicate. However subsequent generations develop differences. Their evolution is driven by survival of the fittest.
Memes are the second tier of evolutionary development. While genes have a mandate to replicate and evolve, so too does society. Memes are the self-generating, evolutionary momentum of ideas. Evolving thoughts which drive the changing face of humanity.
Susan Blackmore now proposes that technology itself has become a third and independently motivated evolutionary force. It is driving exponential change in the way we interact and communicate.
Through this lens could we suppose that technology-based communication platforms are not being driven by human desires at all? That in fact they are propelled by technology itself?
In our arrogance we assume to be forcing the change in telecommunications. Our desire for faster, more instant, more on-call, ever-present communication is attributed to the constant improvements seen in devices.
Once we used to write letters. Then we emailed. Now we instant message. Back then we had ‘Schoolfriends Reunited’, then it was ‘My Space’ now it is Facebook (Mach 1). What will that evolve to? Surely the next step of one’s profile picture – now a photo self-portrait – will be a moving (video) image?
Will we really ’choose’ to put ourselves up for constant video surveillance? Probably. Though looked at this way, it seems like much more of a Big Brother exercise. At least, that is what the old conspiracy theories would have proposed.
Under Susan Blackmore’s tutelage though, our ‘choice’ to be ever-connected seems far more insidious. It is not us, nor even our governments (in the name of safety and security) but an inhuman, piece of machinery that is plotting our future.
Where will end up next? Dan’s final thought was that humans and technology will merge. In generations to come, the earth will be populated by futuristic Taureans: half man, half robot creatures.
You might think that sounds far-fetched. But think about this… Even before flesh and metal merge in the physical realm, our habits and practice are already being technologified. Where once we would pick up the phone to talk, today we send an SMS. Instead of meeting in the boardroom, we video conference. We watch separate TV shows in separate rooms at the time of our choosing. And rarely talk them over. What happened to the community aspect of ‘watching a show’?
Less human connection. More simple transmission. Will our grandchildren even know how to reach out and touch?
Perhaps we should instead ask our computers… Why do we blog?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this rather sci-fi Thinking Club exploration. Please post your comment.
Let’s get this conversation started,
Charlotte
