1/4 Response to PROGRAM OR BE PROGRAMMED: Ten Commands for a Digital Age by Douglas Rushkoff

I did the bulk of my reading of PROGRAM OR BE PROGRAMMED by Douglas Rushkoff in the backyard of a coffee shop.  Reading Chapter 2, Live in Person, I became acutely aware of how many Gina’s were in my life.  This is my first takeaway from the reading.  Rushkoff hooks us in with the story of Gina, a high school student who is always on her phone.  Rushkoff says, “Gina is the girl who is everywhere at once, yet— ultimately—nowhere at all…[technology] has not only removed her from linear time, however, but also from physical place.”  The handful of people around me at the coffee shop were all on their phones- except for the mother struggling with a baby carriage.  The irony was not lost on me, however, since I was reading the chapter on my phone as well.  The weekend before I had felt isolated at a table of friends, because we were all on our phones, and we were all looking for something better to do.  If digital media exists in a world that is inherently dislocated, why do we try to locate it?  Why do we choose to live dislocated lives and ignore the people in front of us?  The “always on” culture that Rushkoff describes is definite and unavoidable.  I have lost friendships over avoiding a Facebook message thread for longer than a few days.  I have felt the pressure to respond to a comprehensive email within the first half hour of receiving it.  I do not think I will see any change unless I choose to stay fully present, although I am unwilling to handle the consequences. 

My second takeaway is that I am pleased to see Rushkoff finding the positivity in this culture of dislocation bias.  Rushkoff states: “It allows an entire nation to rally around an issue or idea, forces everyone to notice an injustice that might be happening far away, and even shows how all people are on some level the same.”  Think of the most recent social media movements regarding racial equality.  That education is on such a deeper level than reading a paragraph about Martin Luther King, Jr. in high school.  We are more sensitive today, yes, but we have a hugely expanded world to explore and engage in.  I am able to keep in touch with Japanese students I met 5 years ago, and instant translations allow us to communicate even more thoroughly.  Whether we like it or not, living in a decentralized manner has affected us deeply as a society.  I would love to see more support for local businesses, but I know that I would not have heard about that awesome barbeque spot without Google Maps.  I firmly believe we can make the best of this technology-laden situation by staying informed and aware, and turning off the phone more often.