- Technology has created an easily accessible digital library.
- Loss of direct interaction among people. Eg, ordering at Macdonalds is through touch screen machines, we don't have to interact with anyone. No more greetings, no more exchange of friendly conversations.
- We become lethargic, we prefer comfort at home with our phones and technology devices than outdoor activities.
- We are losing the ability to think creatively as we rely on the digital library for information every time. We depend on the internet for research, we perceive information on internet to be accurate but the authenticity cannot always be guaranteed. It has affected our ability to comprehend and process information
- Despite being connected online all the time, we are hardly living a healthy and fulfilling life.
Main problem:
Digital Dementia is a byproduct of design progress, overuse of technology and innovations
My plan of action consist of 2 parts:
Part 1: Create awareness on onset of digital dementia and deterioration of cognitive abilities
Expand on my dystopian story plot -
This story follows the life journey of a girl, from baby to teenage life and how her thinking changes throughout, I'm thinking of doing it in reverse, so say 2040, starting from black and white, an emotionless digital zombie in a high technology dystopia world, as the plot plays back, the audience slowly discover the happiness of the girl, as technology becomes simpler and less complicated, leading back to when she was a baby, in a rich coloured world, curious and undiluted with bright eyes. Although my design fiction focuses on deterioration of memory in a span of 10-20 years, and how technology advancement is causing it. But since the setting is in the future, I also have to imagine how the world is going to be like, resources are running out, what futuristic devices could there be, would there be automated medical booths where once we step in, it can analyse our illness and dispense medicine, etc
Challenges: CGI / Special effects
Approaches I'm looking at:
1. Photography, image-editing
2. Film - some of her life stages which I can highlight with sound effects - maybe the more emotional wrecking parts
Part 2: Design solutions to reinforce cognitive function of memory and educate mindful use of technology. If we outsource simple and basic tasks to technology everyday, what happens to our brain if we don't train it? Are we using the spare memory to do something useful? Or spend it on social media building online personas, watching Netflix, etc. How can we train our brain to focus and remember with so many distractions going on? We know that that technology will only continue to advance. What design solutions can we propose to keep our minds fit?
Case studies from my previous post:
Sans Forgetica - RMIT
Delayed Gratification - World’s first slow journalism takes their time to analyse and distil news into well-thought-out essays in months and not instantly.
Both solutions utilise system 2 of our brain - slow thinking. It forces us to think with effort so we can remember better. Nowadays, we are so inclined to use system 1 - fast thinking and instant gratification that we neglect using our system 2.
"System 1" is fast, instinctive and emotional; "System 2" is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. - Daniel Kahneman, 2011.
For part 2 of my approach, I'm thinking of creating effortful systems.
Things we can't live without - Technologies / tools / inventions
Mobile phones
Latest news / information
Internet / google
Entertainment / social networks
GPS
Rough ideas:
- Effortful google search system - prompts you to think between choices, not giving you an answer immediately. For example, you search 'what is a bear', instead of telling you what is a bear or showing pictures of a bear, there will be another page with keywords to prompt you to think first or images that let u choose, bird, bear, tortoise, tree. guess which one is it. Answers will still be given but it forces you to think first.
- GPS - a certain route can only be searched for 3 times by the same person - face recognition - this forces the user to remember the road.
These approaches encourage effortful retrieval, information processing. The effort require engagement of attention and keep us mentally agile.
Challenges: People may not use it because it requires too much effort, its possible for education and students though.
Approaches I'm looking at:
1. Programming - create demos of effortful systems
2. User experience / User interface
3. Game design
Challenges: People may not use it because it requires too much effort, its possible for education and students though.
Approaches I'm looking at:
1. Programming - create demos of effortful systems
2. User experience / User interface
3. Game design
Discussion with Javier and Nur on my research topic prompts some relevant questions that got me thinking:
- How is this relevant in today's context?
- How do we incorporate this in our daily lives?
- Why would people want to use it?
- How can we motivate people to use it?
- What do they get out of it?
Feedback:
Aeon: It cannot take too much effort from the user, cos eventually they will just give up so regulations must be in place.
Zen: No one will use it as they want instant results.
Junji: I’m not leaning towards film medium, the effort system sounds better but need to tweak because nobody will use that.
Xinni: People may only use for a while cos of the hype, or how about it will show answers but also show all the related stuff to it so that u can learn more?
Jason: People exercise to get fit, I'm sure there will be people who would use these effortful systems because they want to keep mind-fit and to prevent digital dementia. Maybe you can gamify the systems? (He's the one who gave me the push on an alternative search system which leads me to think of effortful systems.)
Jasmine: I jog everyday because it makes me feel and look good. People will make the effort if they want to keep mind-fit. Recently at a traffic junction, I saw a taxi uncle focusing on his 'Grab' app, he failed to see an uncle flagging for cab in front of him and drove past, there was no passenger in his car. It's also quite strange to see people flagging for cab nowadays.
Weijun: I know my roads quite well but I still keep my GPS on as I want to know the road conditions, if there is a jam at certain roads and I can take another route. People get motivated when they can see results, losing 5 kg motivates them to persevere, so how can you quantify this memory improvement? There is a youtube channel - Kids react to old technology gadgets like DVD player, computers, floppy disk, etc and they are asked about the functions and how to switch them on/off.
I intend to look into habits, psychology, reward systems, subconsciousness, conditioning, satisfaction and ego.
Case study:
Robin and his friends: They have been playing a game for 5 years - They can't google something they have already googled before. Sometimes the group receives texts at 4am - eureka moments when one of them remembering what they have forgotten about during their chat earlier.
In one of our gatherings, Robin forgot the word that combines meanings of two subjects - keyboard + guitar = key-tar, jeans + leggings = jeggings, and he forced himself to remember and refused to google. He managed to retrieve the word ' portmanteau' after 10 minutes.
Initial mindmapping:
Previous posts:
29/01/2019 Digital Dementia Ideation & Hybrid Persona
26/01/2019 What is Digital Dementia?
- How is this relevant in today's context?
- How do we incorporate this in our daily lives?
- Why would people want to use it?
- How can we motivate people to use it?
- What do they get out of it?
Feedback:
Aeon: It cannot take too much effort from the user, cos eventually they will just give up so regulations must be in place.
Zen: No one will use it as they want instant results.
Junji: I’m not leaning towards film medium, the effort system sounds better but need to tweak because nobody will use that.
Xinni: People may only use for a while cos of the hype, or how about it will show answers but also show all the related stuff to it so that u can learn more?
Jason: People exercise to get fit, I'm sure there will be people who would use these effortful systems because they want to keep mind-fit and to prevent digital dementia. Maybe you can gamify the systems? (He's the one who gave me the push on an alternative search system which leads me to think of effortful systems.)
Jasmine: I jog everyday because it makes me feel and look good. People will make the effort if they want to keep mind-fit. Recently at a traffic junction, I saw a taxi uncle focusing on his 'Grab' app, he failed to see an uncle flagging for cab in front of him and drove past, there was no passenger in his car. It's also quite strange to see people flagging for cab nowadays.
Weijun: I know my roads quite well but I still keep my GPS on as I want to know the road conditions, if there is a jam at certain roads and I can take another route. People get motivated when they can see results, losing 5 kg motivates them to persevere, so how can you quantify this memory improvement? There is a youtube channel - Kids react to old technology gadgets like DVD player, computers, floppy disk, etc and they are asked about the functions and how to switch them on/off.
I intend to look into habits, psychology, reward systems, subconsciousness, conditioning, satisfaction and ego.
Case study:
Robin and his friends: They have been playing a game for 5 years - They can't google something they have already googled before. Sometimes the group receives texts at 4am - eureka moments when one of them remembering what they have forgotten about during their chat earlier.
In one of our gatherings, Robin forgot the word that combines meanings of two subjects - keyboard + guitar = key-tar, jeans + leggings = jeggings, and he forced himself to remember and refused to google. He managed to retrieve the word ' portmanteau' after 10 minutes.
Initial mindmapping:
Previous posts:
29/01/2019 Digital Dementia Ideation & Hybrid Persona
26/01/2019 What is Digital Dementia?
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