It’s funny how some words can become part of ordinary speech even if they aren’t traditional. Words like bling or how we use Google as a verb are two prime examples. Surely Google is a widely used search engine, but for it to become part of daily speech is quite interesting. Often times someone will be in search for something online, and the quick response is: Google it.
Clearly Google caught on to this craze long ago. Now in 2010, in a recent interview with Google’s CEO, Eric Shmidt says even more will be made possible by the search engine. How much more? Well the CEO believes the Internet already records so much information about people that teens will soon need to distance themselves from their pasts. He believes this “escape” will free people from bad pictures on risky nights and horrid memories. He went on to say that Google will even be able to know what is next on your “to-do list” based on recent searches and your present location because of Smartphone technology.
For the CEO these thoughts are nothing new. He expects Google to serve as an outlet for answers to our daily questions, and in turn help us plan our lives. I must admit this is quite horrifying. If anything it is as though “Big Brother” will now constantly have an eye on us. This new technology eradicates one’s personal liberty, maturity, and self-growth. Furthermore, the whole idea of removing parts of your past makes it seem as though people should be ashamed of their pasts. Shouldn’t our private lives remain private and thus a barrier should exist between one’s personal life and work life? What ever happened to one’s privacy?
If these advances are occurring now, what’s in store for future generations? I suppose the only thing that can be said for now is that time will tell.
I think this is very creepy. It's really weird to think that the internet will be able to have such a powerful impact on us. I do not want the internet to know whats next on my "to-do list", or let me change my name to escape some bad memories or ugly photos. Google's CEO shouldn't be so proud of this because it is not some drastic innovation made in technology, its just butting into peoples lives and making as much of it as they can public. When I think about the future and technology, its hard to fathom how much things will change because its already so influential...how much more powerful can it really get?
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. This future technology the Google CEO talks about is kind of scary. Having the power to change such huge aspects of ours lives will change many of the ways we live and communicate today. Also, these new internet functions will most likely be taken advantage of and used in harmful ways putting us in disastrous situations. Another thing is an internet with such capabilities as this takes away a lot of the privacy we are entitled too as humans. I don't think this new technology should be promoted or applied to the Google sites. I think very few positive outcomes could come from this.
ReplyDeleteIf Google's plan is to eradicate our ability to think for ourselves on what we should be "Googling" at the time, then we might as well be considered a communist country made up of information absorbing robots. In addition, how is a search engine going to allow teenagers to forget their pasts full of horrors and nightmares. I didn't know that the internet could become a teen's hero and life rolemodel. If we were to say that looking up general information (because Google can only generalize what you are looking for) would help our future generations succeed in life without the necessity of human compassion and instinct, then obviously this is like a subtle takeover of machines.
ReplyDelete(The Matrix in real life?)
It is a scary thought to think about, however it is basically starting to happen now. Whenever you go on a website's page that has ads on it, the ads will most likely pertain to your interests. The computer keeps track of what you search daily and what your interests are and provides you with ads you would most likely click on. That is not only happening on public websites, but it is also happening on Facebook. The Facebook ad space is filled with your interests and as you proceed to "like" different pages and take surveys, everything will narrow down to basically describe you. Just like the Google CEO said, our "to-do" lists will soon be predictable! It is crazy to think that our privacy is being invaded as we Google things, but I feel the time of machines taking over is coming far faster than we are expecting.
ReplyDeleteSiegel says the Internet contributes to everyone thinking alike, but according to the CEO of Google, Google doesn't even want us to think at all:
ReplyDelete"I actually think most people don't want Google to answer their questions. They want Google to tell them what they should be doing next."
Google says,"You need to pick up milk and dry cleaning on your way home."