Rhetoric of GPS
Source : pixabay
- What are the social values that appear embedded in the technology? In other words, if technology is mediated (comes to be) because of prevailing cultural values, from what cultural values does the technology come?
- GPS saves people time, not only because they don’t get lost, but they also do not have to consider their route and plan beforehand.
- Consumerism, GPS allows you to find shops, restaurants, and other points of interest easier than with a map.
- What are the social implications of its design or use? Is it gendered
- GPS is used by everyone. There is no implication as to who, as far as gender is concerned, is expected to use it.
- People are more expected to be on time for their responsibilities, they are given an approximate travel time.
- Society as a whole has a heightened hesitation toward government surveillance, they value their privacy highly
- Is it systemic (meaning, a product of the ever-present “system” aka the man, the culture, ideologies)? Consider if it would “work” in another culture.
- Yes, GPS is deeply embedded in US culture.
- We go so far as to use it to track traffic patterns on the way to our daily jobs.
- People are expected to find somewhere they’ve never been, without outside assistance
- What does your technology say about the culture that created it?
- The culture wants to spend less time in preparation, and more time in action.
- As long as people stay in motion, they get to their goal faster.