I found several things about chapter six interesting, including how design is currently a “cultural backdrop” for our world. A designer chooses subtle decisions that can be seen as insignificant, but then can be amplified when sent out into society. Because of the time gap in-between designing a product, creating the physical version and mass producing, and sending out the product to users, it becomes difficult to map out a cultural shift to a specific design choice. I found the idea of amplification of a design decision interesting, because mass production causes identical objects to be sent out, the designers voice is then “multiplied.” The chapter also touched on invisible manifestation, and how there can be consequences to the things we use even though the changes in our lives are so subtle we don’t notice. (pg. 87)
I also agree that technology can be a positive force of change, but that potential has not been reached fully. The book talks about how even though this is true, it places digitization at the heart of the discussion for the future, instead of how we use that technology to create positive change and interactions. The book says “The digital age cannot be empowering without empowering someone.” The book goes on to give some specifics on this, including how cell phones have not helped us be more empathetic but have caused accidents, the internet hasn’t helped tensions with hate speech and talks of politics and religion, and it has not helped feed the hungry. But to solve these problems we have to understand what we’re trying to do with design and technology and design simply from there.( pg. 92)
The chapter also goes into a bit more detail on the negative impacts of technology in our own lives. I did not realize at first how much I look up things on google. Any question I need answered or word I don’t understand, I google. The book says this increased dependency on technology creates huge possibility, but also can lead to personal intellectual regression. Since most of us don’t even notice how present this is in our lives, as it slowly crept in on us, it affects a large number of people in an immediate fashion. This may be a long term road to disaster of not knowing things on our own when technology fails. (pg. 93)