Facebook has just released a video that elevates their advertising platform to the ultimate goal of technology: to connect us, give us a sense of belonging, and make us more human. What is the price we pay for this desire to find a tribe?
For years now, my first class has been a discussion on the definition of technology. We use this word everyday but many of us can only give examples, not a concise explanation. Technology is:
An object or invention created conciously by animal or human, changing the nature of something to make work more efficient or simplify life.
– 6th grade class in 2010
Technology is the use of new knowledge to improve our lives by solving problems or making us more productive.
– 5th grade class in 2011
Though my students have different answers year-to-year, we always focus on technology as a means of productivity, creativity, communication and identity.
We then jump immediately into the unintended consequences of technology – a conversation that illuminates our increased reliance on energy, on technology, and our loss of privacy.
This new ad is a great stepping off point for middle- and high-school conversations about both technology’s goals and its impact.
Many of us never think about what technology means. Technology can mean something different to each person based on their previous experiences with it and what they have grown up interacting with. Discussing what technology means and how it affects our lives is an important step to understanding the ways it can both be a help and a hindrance at the same time depending on how you look at it.