Some years ago I heard a comparison of how many devices have been collapsed into a smartphone. Instead of having a camera, a computer, a calculator, a flashlight, a video recorder, a weather station, a GPS, an audio recorder, a dictionary, a calendar, a photo album, a CD player and tons of CD’s, etc, etc, – all you need is a smartphone. All those other things go away.
It’s called dematerialization, and it’s been proudly talked about by some techies proud of the impact they have made on the world. Sounds true and good.
But wait! There is more to the story. When you zoom out and look at the big picture, you can see how the infrastructure to make all this work is “materialization” on another scale.
Here is an article that my son Tanner wrote to explain. It’s fascinating and illustrative of how our world is changing.
Excellent article. Nice break down of a complex system.
Good article and enjoyed the throwback Radio Shack references. Smart kid ya got there.
Excellent article from Tanner. My daughter, Laura, 21, is studying in London at Regent’s University and is constantly discussing the media landscape. Will it stay the same… hell no… it will evolve even more! I pass along many of the Think Daily comments to her; this one is very appropriate for what she is studying, media. Thanks.
It was a great article and I certainly enjoyed reading it. Very thought provoking. I always question if “progress” is really progress.