Design is Dangerous: Technology

Normally when someone thinks about design, it is perceived as a positive impact on society. Although for a huge percentage of the time this definition is correct, design can be the end of society. Technology is something that I personally believe is a dangerous design altogether. My opinion is addressed in the movie "Wall-E" and the following clip emphasizes what we, as humans, can transform into if we let technology take over (fast forward to 1:05). Although the movie is a fictional story, this part of the movie makes a lot of sense when it comes to technology, seeing that it is taking over the people and that without their chairs, the people are useless, so useless that they can't even lift themselves off the floor when they fall. Technology is advancing quickly and we as a society are not ready; new iPods, new phones, televisions that are compatible with internet, cars that can park themselves, etc. The whole design of the advancing technology is supposed to help the average human lifestyle by simplifying their daily routine but the danger here is that technology is making life to simply for human beings, making them useless to society such as no longer seeing the craft of homemade meals without something that is already pre-made, or not being able to park our own car because our car is already programmed to do so. The whole idea that we are being taken over by technology is something that is repulsive to me
and the idea that we are also so open to these objects taking us over because we are blinded by the aesthetics of the product. Society is blinded by the "prettiness" of the new iPods and their features, the new Lexus and the ability of parking that it holds or the new robotic toy that can clean after you; humans are in danger of being taken over by technology, if it hasn't taken over already.

dG