[d_sem]

I feel this is right up the late Professor Neil Postman's ally. There are many interesting talks of his. Notably, a talk in 1993 hosted by Alan Kay, where Neil playfully gave an argument against computers in front of Apple computer engineers [1].

I find the value of momentarily taking Neil's critical view of technology seriously because it opens up the questions about the true value we bring to users. It challenges the bias companies impose on their engineers in pursuit of money over social value.

Typically for every argument Neil makes you can find a counter-factual and dismiss the point of view. However, the more I age and learn about history, the less I hold the religious belief that we are always doing good by adding abstract layers of information complexity over the human experience.

The recent data on smartphone/social media impacts on young children are a startling example that path we take towards technological progress is not always the optimal path.

Source: 1- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9Pau3v5i8c