Reading the introduction to Douglas Rushkoff's "Program or be Programed" that question was something I couldn't help but wonder about. This question has bugged me for a couple days now. Rushkoff planted my question in my mind when he first started to talk about how computers, networks, and programs that were once tools that humankind used to accomplish task are now programming us. He then poses the question “will we program or be programmed?” I view this question not as a serious threat quit yet. But his logic behind it is sound.
We are constantly connected today; weather it be a phone, IPod, computer, tablet or an e-reader. I would venture to say that aside from when we are sleeping we are more connected then were not. Rushkoff goes on to talk about how these machines that we are plugged into aren’t just doing the job we ask but also thinking for us, like autocorrect or a recommended search. In addition, he also speaks about how they are now in a way controlling us. People have described being with out their cell phones as being naked. Some people cant function unless they play a video game for a vast amount of time.
This obsession or need for these programs or machines is actually in our own control at the moment, as talked about by Rick Altman in “What’s New about New Media.” Altman talks about how all-new media goes through an identity crisis until society places it where it deems to fit into this ocean of media outlets. With this being said, if society starts to analyze and make educated decisions on new media and how it is going to control us in the long run maybe then we stand a chance. Maybe then we might not be making SCI- FI real life…one only needs to watch the Matrix to see what could happen.
