This weeks readings have looked at the terminology and driving forces for technology in films and books, Bell (2001) suggested that counterculture was the force behind adaption and was influential in driving forward new technology.

This is evident in recent films which have shown “futuristic” technology which has then gone on to be made in real life
Folding LCD screen – Minority report
Exoskeleton suit – Iron man
Invisibility cloak – Predator

It also appears as though “gamification” has come into ‘play’ now and is the biggest drive in technology, mainly because of the revenue brought in from successful games and the virtual life experience of engaging with the technology.

top ten gadgets in movies that inspires and excites us | mikeshoutsmikeshouts.

Just watched the Hunger games – fantastic film yet such a disturbing view of the impact of social hierarchy. Two kids from a poor district competing – life or death against other children for big brother style entertainment. The game controllers deciding the fate of what challenges and opportunities the children happen upon.

Running man – Criminals are given the opportunity of freedom if they play for survival in a game show against stalkers who are sent to kill them. Basically a very similar premise to the Hunger games when a victim is forced into violence for entertainment.

Both films show a future based upon an uneven power balance and the worst kind of social control – ‘ the relationship between technology and society is bound up with capitalist modes of production and the associated political, economic and social relations which underlie capitalism’ Dodge and Kitchin (200 1: 26)
Hunger Games is death by equals under the control of a more powerful other and Running Man is death at the hands of professionals – which is worse? I think death by equals is worse as any natural feeling of bonding with humanity is lost or subject to condition.

Martin Dodge and Rob Kitchin (200 1) Mappina Cyberspace, London: Routledge.

Both great films that drive my fear for humanity!!!!

I have been focusing on the idea of Utopian and Dystopian societies through film. Having recently watched Hunger games – a fantastic representation of a Dystopian society. Pitching people against themselves, with an outside agency controlling the situation to make better entertainment.

There are many films which represent dystopia, and it is usually control by society on the individual and the fight the individual has against it. It is a very popular genre of film, and focuses on what is real and what is unreal. The usual outcome is nature overcomes everything.

I began to think about films which represented a Utopian society, this is more difficult……………..
It appears that Utopia for some is dystopia for others, and the representation of a Utopia come from an escape from a Dystopian reality.

How does this relate to digital culture?

Well many of the Dystopian films are based in the future and rely heavily on the addition of “Technology” to represent the future. They show an inevitability of what will happen when people have power and control that is separated from actual real world real self interactions. There is an implication that people want to break free or find the real or replicate the real rather than an enjoyment of the being – suppose it wouldn’t be a very good film if everyone was happy and went about their daily lives incorporating technology to support them in their day to day!