Design Noir: The Secret Life of Electronic Objects
The article tells me on the many other point of view of technology. How the common technological devices give more impact than simply serving as what it is. It unintentionally cause behavioural change in daily life that can lead to threatening or dangerous habit and activity. It can unintentionally creates attachment and affection that leads to over-obsession for the users. At the same time, it also literally caused biological danger like radiation. However, many portray such devices only from it’s good side.
It also leads to the different type of function designs can be planned for and how the intention behind its creation will really affect the design and implementation. Despite the popular design, I am personally more interested in critical design, even though I am not sure about how will it goes.
I like this article, it talks about the component of our little things in life, which I now feel ‘why do we even call it little in the first place?’. I feel that it’s not the little thing as it is the life itself. Nowadays, it is more common to hear about the big things that happens in the world, the extraordinary. I won’t go to the extreme of saying that the media is feeding us with lies, but I do feel that many times the thing shared is not what really matters in the readers’ life.
People share the so-called extraordinary to make it sensational and more interesting than what it actually is. But why would one do that? Or more likely, what is so wrong with sharing just the ordinary? Nothing is wrong from that, it just make me question the need of even sharing it in the first place. I have not really follow the news in Singapore but I read some Indonesian media who keep on sharing about others, usually famous people, personal life just for the sake of getting more click. Not more than often accompanied with catchy -sometimes misleading- title. And I just wonder, is that really necessary? Is it so important for a journalist to ‘waste’ their time covering such story and for those who watch or read it, do they not have anything better to do with their time?
Sometimes I feel that the extraordinary achievements share in media make a commoner, like me, to want to achieve big things in life, to go for the ambitions lies within. Starting as coming to Singapore in secondary school, that’s when the concept of meritocracy was firstly introduced to the young me. It made me believe that whatever lies ahead, as long as I have the will there will be a way. Overtime, I keep on looking up to be who I want to be. Yet sometime in the process I neglect the people and happiness around me. It was as if I have become a workaholic, one that does not want to stop to feel ‘busy’ in order to achieve the extraordinary. I feel that I feel restless even during the holiday as I feel the need to tidy up my portfolio, built up my resume and get ready for the next semester – which I didn’t do at the end. But, my mind was not at ease and I take the things in life for granted.
Conclusion
Reading those article, I remember two quotes from my secondary school teachers, back in Indonesia when life was less fast-paced and less-technological advancement. The first one: “Keep on looking up to guide you to what you want to be, but stay aware to where you are walking so that you won’t fall to holes or tripped.” (sorry, it was kind of literally translated). While another one was: “Stop walking, take a step back, look at the big picture and enjoy the scenery.”
These article reminds me that life consist not only the ‘big’ thing but the ordinary as well, of which does not only have one side but obviously a double-edged sword. And it has make me honestly wonder, with the attitude of media and techy lifestyle encouraging a society with high level of achievement, does this fast-pace race running for achievements really necessary for one to live a meaningful life? Will it be really worth it at the end? And yet, when one has been living that way, will there be any way out?