T-minus 1 Year and Counting

Last month, I wrote a paper discussing the upcoming release of Google Glass. I thought it would be interesting to track the evolution of the product and society throughout the year before its release. Below is the paper I wrote in April. We have a year until we find out if I was right.

Last week a self-proclaimed “dive bar” fired the first salvo in what might very well become the battle of the next generation. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, Dave Meinert threatened “ass kickings” to anyone who entered his establishment sporting a pair of the soon to be available Google Glass. Ironically, this statement was issued on a Facebook page from the cradle of cyber-civilization, Washington State. While this threat was obviously an attempt at self-publicity, (why else issue it on Facebook) it does raise a larger issue resulting from the speed at which data can be uploaded and shared and how much connectivity is enough.
In a time when the American Civil Liberties Union cries out against the approaching privacy violations due to drone technology, often overlooked is the fact that currently there are millions of drones roaming the streets recording and uploading data for the world to see. Videos are uploaded to You Tube daily depicting various individuals in compromising situations. At some point in the near future, these tactics will raise significant privacy concerns. When asked to comment, Google responded by stating that they “expect that as with other new technologies, such as cell phones, behaviors and social norms will develop over time.
Google speaks from a position of hubris which neglects the general population. They expect society to adapt to their technology rather than adapting technology to meet society’s needs. Gee whiz factors aside, how useful will Google Glass be? Videos of the Google Glass experience reveal a heads up display view similar to that of an F-14 pilot. Such a display is useful if you’re Tony Stark cruising in an Iron Man suit, but what will the results be when they’re worn by a soccer mom who has already been prohibited from using a cell phone without a hands free device when driving?
More important than safety issues are the issues of privacy. Just because the technology exists to upload terabytes daily doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be done. The wizards of Washington State point to the current trends of Twitter, Facebook and You Tube and portray them as a sign of changing social fabric. The fact which they overlook with their techno-logic is that the majority of the You Tube generation is still young, and as such, is relatively unaware of how unwise choices affect their future. Youthful indiscretions are a part of growing up, but previously such behaviors weren’t televised to a worldwide audience with zero chance of it being forgotten. Teenagers and twenty-somethings may well regret their past actions; even more so since they are able to be accessed 24-7.
To be sure, the degree of convenience offered by smart devices far offsets the sacrifice of privacy that the use of such devices entail, and while my cell phone does not qualify for appendage status as it does with my daughter, I try and remember to take it with me. I don’t particularly enjoy viewing the younger generation over the backs of their phones, but I’m not particularly keen on seeing them anyway. I will, however, resent someone equipped with Google Glass. Their continuous taping of their lives puts my privacy at risk. I’m old enough to remember when 1984 was futuristic and not the past. Scientific advances have provided many things to enhance the life of mankind, but when scientific advancement outstrips the ability of men to analyze its ramifications; it’s time to take a breath.