“With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations — none of which I know how to work — information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation.”
That’s Obama talking about gadgets at large recently. Now, he was specifically referring to a citizen’s ability to stay informed and educated, but in or out of context, it seems like an odd thing to say, and to a tech geek, sounds damn near insulting. I dunno about you guys, but I feel pretty empowered every time I pwn a noob.
In all seriousness, though, Obama was also speaking of the tide of disreputable sources, and how it can be difficult to differentiate from reputable ones. Personally, Barry, I think you should have more faith in the average citizen, who, in fact, does know how to work an iPod, iPad, Xbox, and PlayStation. In our sleep, dude. We got this covered.
Stranger still is that, like… wasn’t this the guy who had his face buried in a Blackberry at all times only a few years ago? Sounds like sour grapes – someone didn’t pre-order his iPad in time…
But be that as it may, we’re all tech geeks, here: is Obama right? Are our gadgets, the very things meant to keep us aware, failing in their capacity to do so?
[Via CNet]
The market has naturally met the needs of people to obtain and publish information freely and at lower cost. This makes people in power a little nervous. Now they feel they must diminish this phenomenon and the information that it is producing so that they can protect their power.
Government, generally, does not have faith in the average citizen to judge and determine what is best for him/herself. This statement by Obama is just another proof of that. Just my opinion.