What does our digital society look like today and in the future?
„"2060: IT giants, pharmaceutical companies, and insurers have joined forces and made the impossible possible: A healthy world!" This sensational news comes from one of the texts written by myself The workshop group "Staged Reading" in the seminar "Society X.0 – Everything Networked?" states: "Politicians and citizens have... discovered that self-tracking has improved people's performance in all areas." However, a few scenes later in the performance "Quantified Self," people who exercise little and drink a lot of coffee are classified by their health insurance company into the "Useless Customer Unlimited" plan. Do fitness trackers change individuals and society? Can digitalization and data processing solve global problems such as illness, mobility, and democratization?
Trainees from the OSZ Louise Schroeder researched, discussed and produced their own contributions on this topic from April 4th to 9th in five different workshop groups with different focus areas.
In their Radio play „Kimchi yeah – 2020. A Utopia“ The audio workshop group connects unidentified flying objects, election campaign strategies using smart data glasses, a mass crash of self-driving cars and other visions of the future with the question of digitalization and freedom.
The multimedia workshop switches to, among other things, its Blog Job postings and a promotional video for "web cops" who ensure security. In a commercial titled "we hide you," an agency promises on its blog to create a flawless online image. The clip "Caritim-Lens – the future in the moment" also advertises a contact lens that allows users to see everything not only in the dark and underwater, but also to zoom and take direct photos and videos. Rosy prospects or bleak visions?
Using analog technologies, the black and white photography workshop group explores the already ubiquitous flood of digital images and the relationship between individual and technology-dominated decision-making in image production and content. The exhibited photo series reflect, among other things, changes in urban landscapes and everyday life brought about by the constant presence of technology. The relationship between individual perspectives, device-influenced perception, and the resulting forms of representation is also addressed – in unique original prints from the black and white darkroom.
At the comic group's final presentation, every single page of the jointly developed work remains. Comics „Do you really want that?“ Unfortunately, the images only appear for a few seconds before self-destructing – just like in the Snapchat app, a rapidly growing instant messaging service for sending pictures. However, the destruction is only simulated. The originals remain intact – just as with Snapchat, as the group discovered with surprise when reviewing the terms and conditions. This workshop group connected the role of photo communities in their own social lives with the question of the significance of images and comics in journalism. They also received input in a fascinating Skype conversation with Dirk Walbrühl about the approach of constructive journalism, as practiced by "Perspektiv Daily." "What could the future of journalism look like?" was one of the questions posed by the comics group, a question that will also be addressed in upcoming seminars on "Society X.0 – Everything Networked," for example, at the next seminar date: June 20-25, 2016.
More impressions from the seminar
The seminar was supported by the Senate Department for Education, Youth and Science
and took place as part of the collaboration in the program „Civic youth education in the AdB“ in the project group „Globalization and Media Communication“.