In Douglas Rushkoff’s, Program or be Programmed
If we clear our minds and not worry about programming, maybe we will have room to utilize that technology.
, chapter 3 and 4, the author presents a compelling argument on how we need to pay attention to how our technology is being programmed and how if we do not, we shall pay the consequences and instead be programmed. I agree with some of what the author says. I believe that people should be aware of the technology that they use, it’s purpose, and how it is made. However, I do not think that it is necessary to know how each technology is programmed. We make millions of choices everyday. It would be useless to figure out every minute detail of how a certain technology is programmed. This is why engineers create the product and we simply use it. It would be a waste of time and inefficient if we sat there and constantly tried to figure out the programming behind a technology.
Rushkoff states, “But in actual experience, our pursuit of choice has the effect of making us less engaged, more obsessive, less free, and more controlled. I think the opposite is true (52). If we left the programming to engineers, we have the opportunity to become more engaged in the technology and use it efficiently without worrying or fretting about how the programming works behind it. We become less obsessive because we are not always trying to figure out something that should be left to the experts, and doing so actually makes us less controlled.
Imagine how crazy our lives would be if we would go a single day where we questioned how each of our technology was made. It would take me days just to figure out how my ipod is wired or the wiring behind my laptop or even simple technology like a pen or how my student id swipes through a machine and lets me ride the PRT. If we simply left programming to the experts, we actually have the chance to resourcefully use our technology and let it affect our lives in a positive manner.