Annotated Biography Mediums and Technologies – Source 5
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Reference:
Blythe, Wright, Monk, M.A.B, P.C.W, A.F.M, 2004. Little brother: could and should wearable computing technologies be applied to reducing older people’s fear of crime?. Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 8.6, 1-6.
This article deals with the potential for wearables to change perceptions, specifically, to induce a sense of assurance in vulnerable members of the population. It proposes a hypothetical system using broadcasted video and audio feeds to the relevant authorities that can be worn by the elderly for them to feel a greater sense of security. The article gathers quantitative data from ethnographic surveys conducted in a major English city. It uses this information to speculate whether such a device would be effective. The article concludes that the technological advancement cannot remedy a situation that requires social change instead.
The article’s strength comes in its qualitative ethnographic research which frames the findings logically. However, the research is limited to focusing on how wearable technology would comfort the elderly in the context of crime presence. The article does not mention in detail how such technology could help other vulnerable members of society such as children and women. Even so, the principles set out within these parameters can be somewhat extrapolated to apply to society at large.
This research is useful as it addresses the issue of whether wearable technology can induce a fundamental emotional response; that of comfort. Such a question delves deeply into how humans relate to the technology they use, and thus finds applicability in our research of wearable devices’ impact on society.
michaelfirus • May 2, 2016