The Individual

Abstract

The speed at which we live life is definitely increasing. At the same time, we no longer have to bake our own bread, wash our clothes by hand or slaughter the pig. One of Microsoft’s advertisements says, “Do things quickly, leaving more time for fun.” The truth of the matter is that a lot of supposedly timesaving devices end up taking all of our time. One of the most important prerequisites for a broad acceptance of mobile habits and services is the relationship between technology and individuals. The heart of the matter is summarized in the quotation at the top of the page. If we are going to live with technology we have to accept acceleration in our pace of life. But whatever popular wisdom might be, it is people and not technology that control the process, at least according to Britt Ö–stlund, Head of Department, Use and Effect of IT at KFB (Swedish Agency for Innovative Systems). “Technology is not deterministic. Producers tend to believe that it is all about information, and that the users have not fully understood what the technology is for. But technology is malleable, technology is soft – it is people who are hard … ” Phasing out technology is no longer a possibility, hardly even desirable. Meanwhile, the quickening pace also brings a quickening rate of change, so that knowledge and values are outdated much more rapidly.

Either get rid of technology or accept its acceleration. (Gunnar Thörnqvist)