Digital Power Struggles

Technology consumers, producers, and regulators seem to be engaged in a perpetual struggle for control over individuals' technology. For companies, control provides business opportunities, allows for easy-to-use software, and encourages customer loyalty. For regulators, control allows them to enforce order. For consumers, control provides privacy and freedom to do what they will with their belongings. This struggle is central to operating system preference, with Apple on the company-controlled end of the spectrum and Linux on the other end. This struggle is the core concern behind the NSA surveillance scandals, a significant barrier to effective enforcement of copyright law, and a major motivation behind the open-source movement. Just lately, Valve has opted to try and disrupt the status quo of company control in the console gaming market by manufacturing an open-source, fully hackable gamingconsole. I don't claim to know where the optimum balance of control is. But we live in an age where information is power, so the question of who controls our information is critical.

What goes up must come down

Most people will agree that too much of just about anything – including digital media – is bad for you. In this light, consider that the F.A.A. is now seriously considering allowing the use of portable electronics to view media on airplanes during takeoff and landing. The regulation itself makes good sense, but the motivation behind this policy change is far more interesting: we now live in a culture where people will get upset if they are not allowed to view digital media for the ten minutes it takes an airplane to take off or land. If this policy were not a pain point, the F.A.A. wouldn't be taking time to discuss it. Now, I get as bored on airplanes as anyone else, and I also consume at least my fair share of digital media. But I also believe that if we as a society can't give up digital media (or nearly anything else) for ten minutes, we should seriously consider the possibility that we have a problem with a lack of moderation.  

The fear of change

The world changes, sometimes drastically. For many people, this can be scary, and justifiably so: not all change is for the better. Change also introduces the unknown, creates risks, and requires work to adapt to. However, change is also required for progress. You cannot make progress, fix problems, or innovate without embracing some form of change. Today, in the digital age, change often takes the form of new technology, and comes at an unprecedented pace. Consequently, we don't have to look very far to find alarmed voices worrying about what we are, or may be, losing amid all this change. Are their worries legitimate? I believe a good indicator is the specificity of their concerns. Vague, broad-reaching worries that, say, the internet is destroying our culture's social life are likely based more on fear of what we don't understand. Specific concerns such as online sexual predators, however, are much more likely to reflect a legitimate problem. In short, it is wise to keep our eyes open as the world changes. We need people who can raise a voice of warning if the world is heading for dangerous waters. However, let us be sure that we do not fear change simply because it is change.