Hindsight is 20/20 (In VR): A Reflection on The Technology of Information

In this reflective essay I will evaluate what I have learned this past semester in my 700 The Technology of Information class. The readings, assignments, and various topics covered in the class have better prepared me as a future librarian in the twenty-first century.

Reading the assigned articles was quite enlightening. Similar to most consumers of various media, I assumed that I had a general idea concerning how technology impacts most aspects of my life. Fundamentally, I understood that privacy is sacrificed for the sake of connectivity and that we live in a surveillance society. In short, I knew I was being constantly tracked (and felt quite grumpy about it!). However, I quickly learned that my understanding was limited at best.

The amount of data being collected by data mining companies was astronomical—I had no clue how insidious these companies truly were. Institutions have always acted in their best interests due to greed, but they find endless ways to use these tools to greater effect. Businesses judge their workers based on productivity (a variable that changes daily) as a measure of progress—then cut jobs because automating tasks saves expenses and increases profit. Algorithms are used for price discrimination, social manipulation, and gerrymandering. An unrelenting digital footprint turns normal mistakes into unforgivable offenses where people are “canceled” and eternally ostracized. How does being made into a pariah affect mental health? In particular, I was especially alarmed with The Big Five: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon. They have cultivated an environment that makes it impossible to navigate in the world without using the services they provide. Even if a civilian chooses not to participate or refuses their services, they have a digital footprint anyway; in a sense The Big Five are retroactively “asking” for consent. They already control much of our personal and professional activity. What can they do with enormous amounts of personal data at their disposal?

These concerns, especially in relation to artificial intelligence and cyberattacks, were emphasized by the IQ4 seminars, assignments, and cases we had to analyze in our group projects. I valued the information and critique that the presenters gave to us in a straightforward manner—but I wish there critiques were more thorough. Admittedly, their calm demeanor was disconcerting.

Unfortunately, I believe in my pessimism I have described a totalitarian state: corporations and governments using mass surveillance on their own populations just because they can. The consequences are unethical and perhaps unfathomable—and these establishments don’t want to be held liable for the problems they have created. Reading these articles made me feel quite embarrassed as my naiveté—and very nearly hopeless. Will our digital data ever be irrelevant living in a cyberpunk tech dystopia? How can libraries survive in this culture? It is hard to conceptualize an alternative reality because there isn’t one. Currently.

So now what?

There is great news: nothing is impossible. We’ve created this mess and I firmly believe we can get out of it. For as many dystopian points of view expressed in the articles there are others that illustrate more neutral, or utopian ideas. A better digital society is possible, and we have the power to create one where technology enhances our quality of life in meaningful ways. Libraries, archives, and museums are the last bastions of democracy, and in these places we can facilitate new values such as transparency and decentralization. The challenge is accepting the world as it is in all of its complexities, and simultaneously creating a culture that embodies positive values. How do we promote empathy, respect, and collaboration using digital technologies? These questions are a good place to start thinking of the possibilities of what could be. Of course, no one has all the answers. But a great way to think of possible solutions is through using creativity!

My relationship with technology changed when I was able to make something, and not just use it. In this course I have learned the basics of coding and the various languages you can use. I’ve created websites, used content management systems, and created a game! I feel so empowered and I want to learn more. What can I do next? How else can I express myself using these technologies? And, quite importantly how will my new knowledge of this content be applied in professional activities? In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed this course and expect to continue to advance in my knowledge acquisition concerning digital technologies. I can’t wait to learn more (okay, maybe not the Oculus Rift…yet).

Thank you!