Connecting the Old Age with the New: A Concept to Combat Loneliness in the Older Generation

James Thornton @00518800

The premise of this final essay is using technologies and digital methods to solve a problem present in todays world. The problem I am attempting to tackle is loneliness in older generations and losing touch with both the past and the current day. My conceptual idea revolves heavily around mixed reality, specifically virtual reality.

Combatting Loneliness Felt by Older People

According to information provided by Age UK and the NHS1 it is estimated that around two million people over the age of 75 live alone and over one million people go at least one month without speaking to anyone at all in England alone. This isolated reality does not just include people below 75 or those situated full time in hospitals and care homes. It has proven that loneliness and social isolation can lead to declines in both physical and mental wellbeing.

A digital application that could help this is virtual reality. VR is already being used and developed to connect users to experiences such as concerts so that they can be accessed remotely from home. The Natural History Museum in London joined forces SkyVR to produce an exhibit narrated by David Attenborough that could be accessed by anyone at home. Another UK based company Melody VR is offering users the option to view live concerts and performances in virtual reality if seeing them in person is inaccessible. Whilst these projects are incredible there is element of isolation involved as they are enjoyed by one person at a time. There are however VR projects focused on connectivity and communication, one of the prominent and easily accessible being VRChat. This is a free to play game that allows users to join virtual chat rooms and forums to interact and communicate with each other behind the guise of custom 3D avatars and characters. Users can explore a whole range of environments and settings from the tops of buildings to comedy clubs and open fields. This is more along the lines of the concept I have envisioned to connect older generations with memories and loved ones. Abertay University and Poppyscotland created a project in virtual reality to help younger children understand the stories of old age veterans in a fun and interactive way that they can take in a lot more effectively that words on a page. This was one of the main inspirations of the concept as I personally could not place myself in the experiences of my grandparents when they told their stories. However, being able to share the experiences with them in a way like this may be able to create a stronger relationship between older and younger family members.

Their Memory VR Project by Abertay University2

Another inspiration for this concept is simply seeing the joy that comes over older family members and friends who live alone when speaking to them over the phone or sending texts and cards. Coming from this I have found that taking this a step further and communicating through platforms like FaceTime, Skype and Facebook Messenger video calls is usually a more enjoyable experience on both ends. The older generation still find great enjoyment and novelty over new technology such as video calls and can sometimes be more animated and eager to share stories through new mediums they have not had experiences with. On the flip side, younger people such as children take in the stories more than if they were spoken over the phone as is can feel less personal and connected. In the future moving from video calls to VR can increase connectivity, enjoyment and immersion to a level just below being there in person.

As well as combatting general loneliness in the older generations I feel like there is also potential to help the loneliness that can come with illnesses such as dementia and the disconnect that bring to those who suffer with it and those close to them. Being able to recreate environments and settings in virtual reality could help bring back more memories and experiences that can lead to them sharing more stories and showing more of their personality to people who may not been around before they were diagnosed.

The very base of this VR app would involve two people in virtual reality joining a private server preloaded with specific environments so that they can communicate in a space familiar to them no matter where they are situated currently. This concept operates under the assumption that virtual reality and its software becomes commonplace and accessible much like smartphone apps or game design programs. People close to the isolated older generation could commission or create environments and locations personal to them based off of old photos and videos. Content could be placed on a service similar to game content workshops where anyone can share and download assets that could eventually lead to towns and cities being accessible that then allows users to go on walks as if they were to visit in person. Adding further locations like classic dance halls and buildings from past decades means that stories can be told with an extra element of immersion and memories can be a shared experience. If needs be a feature could be implemented where only one of the people involved has access to controls in case the older generation struggle to navigate around the technology and software. Allowing two people to exist in the same environment at the same time from different locations can give a much greater sense of togetherness.

In case it is unsafe for the older generations to use VR equipment (lack of mobility and function or susceptibility to things such as strokes) I feel a feature similar to VRChat’s ‘desktop mode’ could be added to devices like smart TVs, computers, phones and tablets. This would allow people to view what the other connected user is viewing in VR allowing them to almost narrate the experiences whilst others are in the environments of their past without sustaining injury and ill effects from being immersed in a different reality. Whilst the primary function of this concept is connecting those at a distance this can also be used to enhance the experiences of face to face and in person meetings too. Setting the system up for use with one person whilst their view is being shown on a screen for everyone else to see and comment on can bring about similar feelings of immersion but in the same room and with a more traditional in person connection at its core.

A further development of this concept could come from the inclusions of animations, sounds and extra characters to scenes. This means that as well as having static locations to meet and reminisce, past and present family pets could be brought to life giving an added layer of personal touch, or cities and amenities could have an atmosphere to give a more real feeling to the situation. With the inclusion of more animated characters and entities it means people could reminisce purely on their own in old houses or with old pets and characters. Implementing simple tasks and developing this software similar to that of current VR games could also lead to people reliving their old journeys to work and having to get to the bus top before that one bus that was always late arrives. They could also have a less personalised but equally as engaging experience caring for a new virtual pet or simulating travel to a holiday destination. This can allow older people to feel younger again and enjoy the small things they are unable to do now.

Similar projects are being looked into currently with technology being used to find and produce images of where people grew up and lived, as well as detailed information like bus routes to work. Based on what is currently out I feel a next step is to almost unify these efforts and put them on the systems of the future. To implement this virtual reality project into reality, there are obviously risks and hazards involved in giving the vulnerable VR technology, as well as the fact that there are still improvements to be made to the hardware itself allowing for longer usage periods and less risk to things like eyesight problems and motion sickness developing. Despite this, as a conceptual idea I think being able to transport our older generation to the past could eliminate some of the doom, gloom and isolation that can come with old age. It can also help impart their valuable knowledge and experiences on the newer generation ensuring that they can live on forever and their contributions to society are not diminished and forgotten.

 1 NHS, 2018, Loneliness in Older People, viewed 21/5/20 <https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/loneliness-in-older-people/>

2 Abertay University, 2018, Their Memory VR Project, viewed 21/5/20 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PvTCH8KT4w&list=LLlCsAtBfoWXtUs6gcxP5hOA&index=2&t=0s>

Man vs Machine, Why we have to Join the Same Team

James Thornton @00518800

 For this post I will be looking at the future of technology and digital media and attempting to create I visual of what this future could be. The main point I will be focusing on in this future is artificial intelligence and its relationship with humans.

The Integration of AI into Human Life

“I think we should be very careful about artificial intelligence. If I were to guess like what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that.” - Elon Musk (2014)1

The use of artificial intelligence has been commercially available for quite a while with various voice activated toys and chatbots being developed since the late 20th century. This technology really picked up when Apple introduced the world to Siri in 2011. Apples virtual assistant was not the most optimized piece of AI when it originally launched but it was the first name of many that people could call to get assistance from the machines around them. Coming into 2020 and homes around the globe now function with the help of Amazon created Alexa and Googles home assistants. These three personal assistants have increased the symbiosis between humans and machines having access to homes and cars as well as users giving permission for them to communicate with their friends and peers. This common example of AI into our lives maybe a very simple look into the future of our relationship with media and technology.

“…today, if you don’t bring your phone along, its like you have missing limb syndrome. We are already partly a cyborg” - Elon Musk (2020)2

The convenience of having everything all in one place has conditioned us into placing a huge importance on our phones and computers, such that when we are without them, we can feel lost and unproductive. Instead of having to think for ourselves and go out of our way to do simple tasks such as shopping, we find it so much easier and in some cases more enjoyable to pull out our phones and search the web or load up Amazon and eBay and then wait a few days for the fruits of our machines labour to arrive. This has evolved further with virtual and augmented reality. Originally a novelty allowing people to pretend to ride rollercoasters it can now be used to replace experiences like live events and concerts, as well as help develop medicine and other vital products easier and cheaper than ever before. Augmented reality has evolved from catching Pokémon and creating Snapchat filters to enhancing education and learning across all ages. Museums are looking into mixed reality exhibits to help demonstrate what the past and future can look like in a much more engaging form that static exhibits.

An AR Museum Exhibit ^4

The third reason I feel a merge between human and machine is inevitable in the future is down to countless attempts to enhance and further our abilities with new technologies. The most obvious examples are in the medical field and prosthetics. People have undergone surgery to replace amputations and new mechanical prosthetics have been more able than their biological predecessors. Even further than this robotic prosthetics have been developed that allow full use of limbs without any implants to the brain. Trying to alter the brain is another heavily invested in venture for our future. One of the most high-profile attempts is the highly anticipated Neuralink device. The first implications of this concept is to improve damaged spinal, nerve and brain injuries such as paralysis, dementia and epilepsy.

"The long-term aspiration with Neuralink would be to achieve a symbiosis with artificial intelligence." - Elon Musk (2018)3

The benefits of this according to CEO Elon Musk, would be the ability to make humans hyper smart as well as potentially alter the very basics of human communication. Predictions of implementing such a device to the brain see interaction on almost a telepathic level and the chance to interact through visual images and thoughts instead of spoken word. Whilst this appears on the surface as a pipe dream, Musk appeared on podcast The Joe Rogan Experience in May 2020 and exclaimed that the initial stages of the chip can be implemented ‘within a year’.

Elon Musk discussing his Neuralink Technology on the Joe Rogan Experience ^5

Pairing this attempt to change the way our brains can give and receive information with mixed reality technologies could enhance experiences and industries like education to levels only seen in sci-fi films and dreams. Physical items such as pen and paper may become obsolete, the potential for keyboard and mouse to fade away is there as well depending on how this could allow us to communicate with machines. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the sudden rise of online conferences, lectures and entertainment experiences could also join this almost scary ensemble of unfathomable potential to give a future that seems more Matrix than everyday reality.

In conclusion I feel the future of digital media and technology involves a union between humans and the devices we use, reshaping the way we live, communicate and consume information. With that said, the extent to which this happens, staying forever a concept and basic prototype or achieving its unthinkable potential, only remains to be seen.

1M. McFarland, 2014, Elon Musk: ‘With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon.’  The Washington Post, viewed 20/5/20 <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2014/10/24/elon-musk-with-artificial-intelligence-we-are-summoning-the-demon/>

2E. Arevalo, 2020, Elon Musk discusses Neuralink brain chip plans with Joe Rogan, Tesmanian, viewed 20/5/20 <https://www.tesmanian.com/blogs/tesmanian-blog/neuralink-musk>

3Axios, 2018, 1. Elon Musk: Humans must merge with machines, viewed 20/5/20 <https://www.axios.com/elon-musk-humans-must-merge-with-machines-1543240787-c51eee35-8cb3-4684-8bb3-7c51e1327b38.html>

4  INDE, 2015, Augmented Reality dinosaurs at Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington DC by INDE, Viewed 20/5/20 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkLD5XkOlng&feature=emb_title>

5 JRE Clips, 2020, Elon Musk Reveals New Details About Neuralink, His Brain Implant Technology , viewed 20/5/20 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqdo57uky4o&feature=emb_title>

History’s Most Valuable and Society’s Most Influential Revolution

James Thornton @00518800

In this post I will be exploring the theory of technological determinism and why it is a popular view on the nature of societal change. I will do this by looking at how society has changed from the beginning of the digital revolution to now and how technology from this period is the base for such change.

Technological Determinism and the Digital Revolution

It is an immensely powerful and now largely orthodox view of the nature of social change. New technologies are discovered, by an essentially internal process of research and development, which then sets the conditions for social change and progress. - (Williams, 1974)1

Williams writes about how new technologies and inventions are what drives the base of societal changes and progress in human history. He does this by looking at the statement ‘television has altered our world’ and exactly what this could mean. The view that supports the theory of technological determinism is that the tech behind televisions was developed and invented almost by accident, so in turn its knock-on effects were also an accident, but its these accidental effects that shape society. The opposite view states that its invention may also be accidental, but the invention becomes part of a change instead of directly causing it. I would argue that the television has altered our world and been the cause of much societal change because of its unchallenged significance of place in todays word decades after its use. Whilst there have been vast changes to a lot of technologies that we are reliant on today, I feel the television has changed the least since its inception all due to the fact that it’s the key piece of the societal puzzle that lead to the picture we live in today.

Illustration showing the evolution of television. 3

The picture today would be far different if not for the digital revolution that is recognised as starting somewhere between the 1950’s and 1970’s. Personally, I believe that the most influential period of these initial thirty years is the 1970’s and that the technology created from this point has further shaped our society today. The three most defining technologies that rose to prominence this decade were the games console, mobile telephone and the personal computer. Games consoles offered a much different experience and form of entertainment to its users, whilst the personal computer and mobile phone increased communications between those fortunate enough to own them. Much like with the television that Williams focused on, these devices have become a staple of modern life and are equally as, or arguably more, important now almost half a century from their introduction.

The next ten years of the digital revolution through the 80’s introduced devices and tech that have been developed to such a point we hardly acknowledge its use on a conscious level. The trio of useful technologies popularised and invented during this decade are the digital camera, the internet and the world wide web. The world wide web and the internet were pieces of technology that have caused such a significant change to the way society works that in 2020 you’d be hard pressed to find a device essential to daily routine that either doesn’t rely on or can’t connect to the internet and allow you to access that through various forms of web browser. This pair of technological breakthroughs are so instrumental to the world we live in today they are credited with starting what is known as The Information Age. A very common form of information accessed through the internet and web are digital images, taken on some form of a digital camera. This triad of tech is used seamlessly in today’s world with social media sites Snapchat and Instagram amassing over 1 billion users globally and using digital images as its primary method of communication.

Graphic showing active users on social media sites in 2019 4

Progress, in particular, is the history of these inventions, which ‘created the modern world’. The effects of the technologies, whether direct or indirect… (Williams, 1974)1

Looking into society in 2020, the six pieces of technology brought about by the digital revolution form some of the most common and essential things in society, both for immediate use and research into the future. Adding the television in with the half-dozen other devices and you will see that they work so well together features of all of them are now rolled into a singular device. The smartphone. Smartphones allow access to the web, have digital camera built in, the ability to play games as well as watch television and film. The digital revolution, to me, proves the theory of technological determinism as all its inventions come together to create one of the most essential pieces of tech in todays society and the importance of developing those new machines and software is so important it’s the most valuable industry in the world. According to Forbes2 the five most influential brands in the world are based in the tech industry and have a combined value of $684.4bn, more than the value of the next 15 companies combined.

In my opinion the value placed on the technology industry as of 2020 backs the argument that new technologies determine change and it won’t cease to be the case anytime soon.

 1 Williams, R. (1974). Television: Technology and Cultural Form Fontana. London. 2 Forbes (2019). The World’s Most Valuable Brands, Forbes. Viewed 19/5/2020 <https://www.forbes.com/powerful-brands/list/> 3 Artist Unknown, Viewed 19/5/20 <https://i02.appmifile.com/images/2019/04/12/a058efa5-46ec-43be-9f74-6a49f146ed51.jpg> 4 J. Clement (2020), Most popular social networks worldwide as of April 2020, ranked by number of active users ,viewed 19/5/2020 <https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/>