|
(2016
midterm assignment) Model Student Midterm answers 2016 (Index) Essay 2: Personal / professional topic |
 |
Zach Thomas
Low-Tech Future
From
the narratives of the future we have discussed in class, I am drawn to the
concept of low-technology in the crises of humanity. For one, low-tech brings to
light the closeness of destruction when narratives composed upon this are felt
as only a few years from present-day. This use of low-tech, as opposed to
high-tech, creates a more fearful reality in the mind of the reader or viewer.
Guns, nuclear bombs, devastation, and famine are all low-tech aspects of the
culture we see today. So, reading about the future with these elements allows me
to be more enticed and in tune with the progress or the de-evolution of
humanity.
Literature, as well as technology, holds that low-tech themes demonstrate a
genuine pleasure for readers and participants. For instance, Jesper Juul writes,
“It is a style that is not simply a natural expression of a particular method of
game development, but an example of ‘authenticity work’” (1). Juul writes in his
article about the ever-trending low-tech video games that outlast high-tech and
large-budget games. People would rather experience realistic displays with few
controls than a plethora of complicated gameplay. Gamers are satisfied with
low-budget games that appear simple and without much fluff.
In the
Parable,
Lauren and her group were in a very low-tech world that allowed readers to
experience what they experienced. High-tech is enticing for the moment, but it
does not have the emotional effect that low-tech futures touch on. In
Somebody Up There Likes Me, Dante decides to withdraw all of his savings in
order to begin work on his friend’s start-up company. This cyber-punk short
story is altogether high-tech with the exception of the human spirit. Humans do
change, but we see here that Dante is doing crazy things out of love for a
friend and Snooks. As technology evolves continually, humans evolve in a much
slower fashion that makes the reader appreciate the characters being spoken of.
Movies like
Forrest Gump
and
Casablanca are examples of low-tech film that are convincing for viewers
to appreciate. Human emotion and authenticity help the viewer to find meaning in
the visual nature of these films. Future low-tech narratives focus on simple
realities to emphasize a putting on of the character’s shoes. In the Garden,
the author maintains the work as being low-tech while also considering the use
of alternative futures by the visual of a labyrinth. It does not stray from
low-tech because the complicated matter of the story was set on the
protagonist’s mind and the philosophical questions of what it would be like if
his ancestor had chosen a different path in life. Low-tech future narratives
arrive at a commonality of authenticity. The success of such narratives, movies,
and games is dependent on how close to real-life circumstances the author,
director, or game developer can create.
•
"High-tech Low-tech Authenticity: The Creation of Independent Style at the
Independent Games Festival." Jesper Juul. Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.
Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
 |
 |
|