Artifact #7: Art, Games, and Technology Discussion

The primary thesis of Jones article is that the rapid change in technology advancement has ultimately changed our society and transformed our everyday lives. Jones has a good quote in her article that explains this when she says that, “these changes are not simply technical effects. They contribute to maintenance and change of culturally conditioned conceptual patterns in the larger cultural historical context” (51). Technology is constantly evolving every day and when these advancements take place it in turn, effects the way all of society manages their processes.

One of the historical examples that Jones gives when providing an illustration of her thesis is electricity. She states that, “electricity had been considered theoretically interesting but of little or no practical value”(51). By effectively harnessing the power of electricity over the years, we have been able unlock its true potential which has helped us speed up the process of technological growth. She then goes on to explain that through electricity lead the way to microcomputers and other technological advancements.

One of the biggest examples of Jones’ theory that I’ve seen at work in today’s culture is the dampening effect of people’s ability to communicate effectively with one another. No likes to interact in person anymore but rather its all over text and social media. If someone has an argument with someone, they no longer go up to the person and discuss the problem privately but rather blast it all over social media because their too scared to tell them face to face. Natalie Bencivenga, a writer for the Huffington Post, refers to this in her articleHas Technology Ruined Our Ability To Communicate? as the “easy way out”. She states that, “we have forgotten what it’s like to confront our issues. It’s safer, more anonymous and less stressful to just text someone when making plans or to break plans…Its easier to break up via email than it is to look anyone in the eye and tell them it just isn’t working anymore” (Bencivenga,1). Everything that Bencivenga refers to in this article is so true and I’ve seen it over and over throughout my life as technology has advanced. People argue over facebook then act like best friends when they’re together or talk trash about a specific person over a group text but then has no intention of saying the issue to the persons face.

We have become so disconnected from one another as a culture and I truly believe that technology has caused this. I mean, how many friends on your facebook page could you really call up at 1 in the morning when you need help and would actually come to help you? Maybe 4 or 5 out the 600 of your so called “facebook friends”. We are losing that ability to communicate with one another on a personal level. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been hanging out at a party and 75% of the people there will be on their phones rather than actually interacting with one another. It’s sad, and I truly fear for our society because from the looks of it this problem is only going to get worse as kids grow up with technology and never really learn the necessary social skills needed to interact on a daily basis.

Reflection: 

Learning about art, games, and technology was definitely one of the coolest topics that we discussed this term. This is primarily because over the course of my life I have seen and been able to be a part of the video game industry transformation. When I was 5 my very first game console was the sega, then I moved to the N64, then to the Xbox and finally the xbox 360. It’s been crazy to see how far the graphics of gaming systems has come in that 15 year period. Now we have games in 3d with life size images not to mention we can play other kids from across the globe. With all this being said, probably one of the more intriguing things that I found when discussing this topic was simply in the overall history of computer graphics and technology in general. For example, Jones states in her article Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins that, “in the 1940s analogue computers were used to generate the earliest computer graphics and display them in oscillioscopes” (52). I had no idea this was how the earliest computer graphics came to be about. It’s so crazy to think about how far we have come since then. I can remember my grandma telling me that when she was a young girl they didn’t even have a telephone in their house and now she’s currently texting me on an iphone 5! Just thinking about that transformation makes my head spin. I can only imagine what technology is going to be like when I’m her age.

In addition to learning about the history of computer graphics we also learned about how the role of technology has forced cultural maintenance and change. As I stated in my original discussion, technology has provided us with new and improved ways to communicate with one another. However, in retrospect to this technology is also proving to dampen the communication skills of our youth. The ability to text and use social media has completely taken away some of the necessary interactions that kids need learn how to deal with when going through the early stages of life. For example, I have a friend that still doesn’t communicate with girls very well because he was never forced to learn how. He always had a phone in his hand and texted them. Now when it comes to asking them out on dates and such he simply can’t do it. It’s the little things like this that make me fear for the upcoming generation. Not to mention that people get in fights over facebook and twitter but when it comes to talking out their problems in person they can’t do it. Our culture is changing and in some ways not for the good, and technology is one of the primary causes. 

Lastly this topic allowed me to discuss the validity of art created with the aid of machines. Jones states that, “a tension has existed in the development of computer graphics between the scientific and artistic views of imagery and their evaluation” (51). I understand this tension but I also believe that technology allows some people the opportunity and ability to bring their inspirations to life whereas they may not have been able to before. For example, I have a friend who is a digital arts major and when it comes to painting and drawing he’s not exactly what you would call “gifted”. However, with the help of computer graphic systems he can create these amazing collages that are breathtaking in every sense of the word. Now traditional artists may not view this as art but I believe that art is whatever area allows you to express yourself. And in this example, the use of digital graphic systems allows my friend to do this. Therefore I believe that yes, this type of work can still be valid in the art world. His creations have the same feel to him as traditional sculptors and painters have when they create a piece. He just created it through different means.

Future Goals:

I have 2 future goals going forward that I want to be faithful in when leaving this discussion. The first is I want to remain up to date on all of the evolutions taking place in the technology world. I believe that staying up to date on this industry is vital to remaining knowledgeable in the business world. The second is I want to make sure that every chance I get I need to inform the younger generation to keep technology in perspective and to not rely on it for everything. For example, if your having a conversation with your best friend then don’t pull out your phone and start texting away. Its just simple etiquette things like this that can save our younger generations from losing all personable skills and turning into technology mongrels that don’t know how to communicate.

Jones, B. J. (1990). Computer Graphics: Effects of Origins. LEONARDO: Digital Image – Digital Cinema Supplemental Issue, pp. 21-30.

Table of Contents

Artifact #1: Lindsey Vonn Out for the Olympics
Artifact#2: Life Values Assessment
Artifact#3: Food As Art
Artifact#4: Personal Adornment Discussion
Artifact #5: The Aesthetics of Horror
Artifact #6: Creative Spirituality Discussion
Artifact #7: Art, Games, and Technology Discussion
Artifact #8: Remixing Google Image Search