Five things about Ubiquitous Computing that make Anne Galloway nervous

Dr Anne Galloway (@annegalloway) is Senior Lecturer, School of Design and Principal Investigator, Design Culture Lab, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Trained in sociology and anthropology, Anne teaches courses in design and culture, and researches relations amongst people, places, animals and technologies.

Here are the five things that make her nervous about Ubiquitous Computing:

1. Technological determinism & defeatism
Or, the cultural belief that technological development and progress is inevitable, and we have to adapt.

2. Technological solutionism
Or, the cultural belief that technology is the best solution to life’s problems.

3. Quantification imperatives
Or, the cultural belief that everything can and should be measured, and that everyday life would be better if all our decisions were based on these data.

4. Connection & sharing imperatives
Or, the cultural belief that everyday life would be better if more information was transmissible and accessible to people.

5. Convenience & efficiency imperatives
Or, the cultural belief that people would be better off if there were more technologies to make daily life more convenient, and common tasks more efficient.