Ecological What are its effects on the health of the planet and of the person? Does it preserve or destroy biodiversity? Does it preserve or reduce ecosystem integrity? What are its effects on the land? What are its effects on wildlife? How much, and what kind of waste does it generate? Does it incorporate the […]
Archives for September 2013
Louis C.K.: Smartphones Cover Existential Loneliness
September 21, 2013 By
Stand-up comedian Louis C. K. was on the late night show Conan, and he explains why he doesn’t want his kids to have smart phones. His incredible, nearly 5 minutes speech touches a range of related issues, from how we learn empathy to how we deal with existential loneliness.
Building a Bridge to 1986
September 11, 2013 By
As Michael Sacasas notes in his recent post, “What Motivates the Technology Critic?” there are two common dispositions towards technology: the Arcadian disposition that mourns for what is lost and the Utopian disposition that celebrates what is gained. When I come across someone with a strong Arcadian disposition towards technology, my favorite experiment is to […]
What Motivates the Tech Critic
September 9, 2013 By
Some time ago, I confessed my deeply rooted Arcadian disposition, and I added, “The Arcadian is the critic of technology, the one whose first instinct is to mourn what is lost rather than celebrate what is gained.” This phrase prompted a reader to suggest that the critic of technology is preferably neither an Arcadian nor a Utopian. […]
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