All Things Should Be Free

I’m not sure if this qualifies as an actual Blog post, or if it should be a comment somewhere, but I wanted to share this thought. I also realize that parts of it are terribly confusing and the grammar is not ideal. I’ve tried to be as clear as possible.

Researching for this class has made me realize something. Facebook and Google are worth billions. Their employees and CEO’s make unbelievable amounts of money. Yet, what exactly do they sell?

This gives me a completely ridiculous idea.

All things should be free. All companies, services and products should pay for themselves by advertising for other things (the way Google and Facebook do). ‘Name brands’ would be invaluable because only the things widely advertised would be consumed reliably. Other companies would then want to advertise themselves on the name brand items.

Eliminating cost would eliminate one of the main indicators of worth and value. People would have to turn to how well something was advertised and how much others wanted to advertise on that something in order to ascertain what it was worth. If someone wanted a car, they’d still want a good, reliable car, preferably the best. How would they tell? Yes, it should be shiny and look cool. But then they all would, wouldn’t they? How would one avoid buying a cheap knock-off that could be dangerous? One would have to look to the advertisements. Car companies would want to advertise on a Jaguar because it has a reputation. Car companies would want to advertise on a Honda because they’re everywhere and reliable. We would be left with the best cars, for free. The car companies would essentially vote for which other companies survived. These surviving companies would still strive for excellence, for once a company lost repute it would lose its advertising and thus its revenue.

I understand how implausible all this is. But wouldn’t it be cool? In a way, it would be like returning to Caveman days. There would no money, just someone’s word. It makes me think of potential jobs like wearing advertisements all day. It also would change the political landscape. One would only trust a politician who was visibly endorsed by trustworthy people/companies and who advertised on other worthy people and companies.

Thanks for listening to my silliness.

Robots Are Taking Over!

Movies where robots and artificial intelligence take over the world, such as “I, Robot” and “The Matrix Trilogy”, are becoming more prevalent in today’s culture. This is probably because robots ARE taking over the world. With new self-checkout systems, electronic nurses, and commercial production machinery, humans are being displaced from possible jobs. As a result, the human connection created at the checkout counter or with a nurse is being replaced by technology.

Montefiore Medical Center’s Home Health Agency now uses a new electronic nurse of sorts in the homes of patients who have heart problems. This “nurse” monitors vital signs, questions the patient concerning their health, and takes care of the patient without the need for a human nurse. So far, this technology seems to work, but is it more effective at provided medical care than an actual nurse? The nurse is able to see the patient and evaluate their health status better, especially if the patient answers the electronic nurse’s questions incorrectly. Also, the nurse can physically save the patient if they need CPR or any other sort of emergency medical care, while the machine cannot. However, the electronic nurse is less expense in the long run and can provide medical care for the patient 24/7. This new electronic nurse might be able to put up a fight for nursing positions and beat humans out.

Self-checkout systems are also becoming more common in grocery and retail stores. These machines are quick and easy to operate once you learn how to, but they may prove difficult to learn for the older generations. As a consumer, you are able to check out more quickly and avoid the long lines and the normal checkout counters. Conversely, fewer jobs are available in stores who convert to this technology. Checkout clerks will be less common, and fewer jobs will be available.

With any technologies like the aforementioned ones, there is a loss of human connection. When we stop interacting with each other, our ability to interact in society is hindered. Society needs these human connections to remain a society. As quick and efficient as these new technologies may be, we lose both jobs and human connection as a result. Robots will effectively take over the world at this rate.

Photo Credit

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

"Unlike a mirror, which reminds us of who we really are and may have a negative effect on self-esteem if that image does match with our ideal, Facebook can show a positive version of ourselves,” said associate professor Jeffrey Hancock. “We’re not saying that it’s a deceptive version of self, but it’s a positive one” (CNN Tech).

There has been a growing concern that our generation’s dependence on Facebook and other similar social media networks to determine our self-worth has reached unacceptable levels. How can we define ourselves as unique, interesting, artistic, clever, cool, etc. while differentiating ourselves from everyone else who might hope to get the same image across?

Facebook is formatted such that you can learn almost everything and anything you want about your connections. Naturally, the idea of such openness is intimidating to many, and privacy groups, like the Electronic Privacy Information Center, have come together and garnered some influence within the government (All Things Digital). What these groups might want to consider, however, is that companies like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are ultimately around to maximize their net income despite the efforts these organizations go through to convince you otherwise.

Ultimately, Facebook is not an inherent right but a privilege.

I admit that all of this sounds ominous, but we must not forget that there’s a bright side to it all. With a few exceptions, you, and no one else, have almost complete control, as a Facebook user, to control the content of your profile. It is up to you to determine which celebrity/athlete/artist pages to like, whether or not you want to share your education and employment specifics, whether or not you will keep other peoples’ posts on your wall and comments on your pictures, and even whether or not others will be able to access your pictures from your page. Finally, it is up to you to decide what picture will summarize your online presence. I’m referring, of course, to your profile picture, often the first thing you notice when you click through to your friends’ pages.

I took the above quote from Jeffrey Hancock from an article on CNN Tech. The story covers Hancock’s report regarding the correlation between Facebook and self-esteem in a study of 63 students (click here to be linked to the report itself). It turns out that subjects who spent time on Facebook returned more positive feedback about themselves than those who were either staring at a mirror or a blank computer screen during the allotted time (CNN Tech).

“For many people, there’s an automatic assumption that the internet is bad,” Hancock said. “This is one of the first studies to show that there’s a psychological benefit of Facebook” (CNN Tech).

Does the research speak for itself?

Either way, perhaps some of us should consider lightening up.