Thoughts

Technology For The Curious

I'm working on a project that really brings into focus the "death of the mid-level attention span." Meaning that, these days, we either want things short and quick or completely immersive and draws us in time and time again. There's no in-between. And I'm not quite certain what to make of it ... yet.

I’m working on a project that really brings into focus the “death of the mid-level attention span.” Meaning that, these days, we either want things short and quick or completely immersive and draws us in time and time again. There’s no in-between. And I’m not quite certain what to make of it … yet.

For example, 15-60 sec TikTok videos are now the norm. On the other hand, binge watching Netflix shows, episode after episode, season after season is also a “thing.” The in-between, where we used to take the time to watch something, attempt to understand an idea, concept, or even question what we encounter before proceeding is quickly becoming ephemeral.

What does this mean really?

I think it just means that the technology that we are using today has not been built for the curious mind. Rather, it has been designed to either satisfy and appease quickly or to draw out and prolong as much of a concept as possible so as to squeeze every penny from it – think Disney movies circling back on to themselves instead of exploring something new.

All this is making me wonder, what would happen if we designed our most-used technology to allow us to formulate ideas and ask better questions? What would that technology look like if it were built to allow us to embrace our natural curiosity instead of providing us with instant gratification? Could not having the answers pre-filled for us in search engine queries or even simply not having them always ready at our fingertips lead to greater creativity?

I suppose there’s only one way to find out.

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