Are Simulated Spaces Becoming Real Spaces?
In the last decade, there have been many advancements made in the simulated world and within augmented reality. Along with the development of smart cities, it is becoming increasingly likely there will be infrastructure to support this simulated reality on a city-wide or even national scale. This poses the question; will this interconnectedness facilitate growth and raise our standard of living or will it destroy the world and our way of life as we know it?
Promote a sustainable future
An often-understated benefit of the interconnectedness between smart cities and simulated spaces is the ability to promote a sustainable way of life. As a result of an increasing population, as seen by the world population surpassing of 8 billion people in 2022, there has been increasing concern surrounding how our world will accommodate so many people. If we were to take a ‘bottom’ up approach with regards to building these smart cities and prioritise the needs of the citizens, we would stand a better chance of tackling social and environmental problems. These problems will be significant burdens on our future society with issues such as increased population growth being fuelled by an ageing population being an example. There will not only be increased infrastructure needed but there will be an increased cost associated with it as fewer people will be able to work. With the addition of simulated spaces, we can lessen the burden of this increased smart city growth. A prime example of how simulated spaces can enable this promotion of sustainability is through the widespread use of spatial computing. This will enable for the digitisation of everyday activities to create a more immersive and interactive experience with technology around us. This can lead to a reduction in spending on infrastructure which was previously needed to develop in-person spaces and can be used towards other areas such as preserving wildlife.
Accommodate technological advancements
A more prevalent reason for pushing for increased interconnectedness between smart cities and simulated reality is the ability to accommodate more advanced technology. A prime example of this would be in the implementation of a ‘top-down’ or technology driven approach that can ensure that there is the best technology to solve our problems. Prime examples of this include the city of Hangzhou in China which uses a piece of AI technology known as ‘City Brain’ to reduce traffic by 15%. As a result of putting technology at the forefront of city infrastructure, it can lead to greater efficiency and can resolve problems of the past. Once these problems have been resolved through the use of technology, they can generate positive outcomes in other areas ranging from economic growth to improving our standard of living. In the case of economic growth, technology has played a prevalent role in improving it in developing countries. The widespread use of the personal computer and the internet has brought new and in demand employment opportunities to these regions which in turn leads to higher incomes being earned. A similar point could be made for healthcare with organisations such as Project Masilueke, who are powered by mobile technology, use a text messaging service to provide health updates for patients within vulnerable communities.
Global Inequality
There are several disadvantages with an increased amount of connectedness between smart cities and simulated spaces. A prime example of these disadvantages would include the increased levels of global inequality that these technological advancements would lead to. It was recently recorded that in 2016, only around 50% of adults worldwide had basic computer literacy. This is more often than not due to a lack of government funding and infrastructure towards education and technology within developing nations. This will translate to various missed opportunities for the exploration and growth modern technology, most notably the metaverse. The platform is taking a revolutionary approach towards our digital experience as well as pioneering innovation in sectors ranging from healthcare to teaching. Consequently, developing nations will be left behind and will undo the previous progress made by globalisation. As more of our world becomes digitised and increasingly unequal, it will inevitably lead to those in a position with the resources to exploit regions without the adequate technology and resources. A notable example of this would include the extraction of cobalt used to create rechargeable batteries in many of our modern devices. There has been cause for concern as there is evidence to suggest that modern slavery is taking place and companies in developed nations who use these materials to manufacture modern technologies are doing little to resolve this issue.
The Psychological Toll
As people and society as a collective become increasingly interconnected with technology, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand the psychological implications this technology has on our physical and mental well-being. With the development of smart cities and with the prospect of increased connectedness they would have with simulated spaces, this would only exacerbate these issues. According to a survey carried out by McKinsey & Co, 27% of Gen Z cited that social media had a negative impact on their mental health in 2022. This generation, who have grown up in the age of the internet and are touted by many to be ‘digital natives’ are cited as the most negatively affected by it. Due to the fact that the technology revolving around smart cities and simulated spaces is in its infancy, and the fact that institutions such as the NHS are already strained for resources, we are unsure of the cost these issues will have.
My Self-Reflection: (based on the Gibbs reflective cycle)
During my time on the Digital Society module, I have understood how the digitisation of the world around us led to various strides in the way we live our lives as well as the potential that technology has to further improve our lives. I initially felt that I knew what path technology was capable of taking given the fact that I am a ‘digital native’ who grew up in a society where modern technology was commonplace. However, I was yet to discover the vast and expansive future that technology is mapping out for people in society and I was unaware as to how myself an others could take advantage of it. I enjoyed learning about the impact that simulated spaces were making on our society around us. This particularly relates to the adoption of spatial computing and how it will enable greater convergence between the physical and digital world within various aspects of our lives ranging from travel to healthcare. Areas I didn’t enjoy as much would include the focus on chatbots. Although I understand that chatbots utilise ever-advancing AI to provide more succinct and informative answers to questions we may have, I don’t believe the technology is as interesting and has as much room for innovation as other areas such as spatial computing. What particularly helped my learning over the course of my time on this course were the continuous surveys and activities on each weekly topic. This ensured that I was further engaged with the content and gave the course an element of interactivity despite the fact that the course was completely online. What may have hindered my learning was the lack of any in-person interaction with this course. Although this course was designed to be online, an in-person element, even if it was small, which consisted of interaction with any of the technologies learned about over the course of the module would have enhanced my learning significantly. In conclusion, I have learned the true impact that technology has on our modern society and have fully grasped the positives and the negatives of what future technology will bring to our society. In the future, I will ensure to stay more updated with regards to technological advancements as they have increasingly prevalent presence in my day-to-day life. Furthermore, I will ensure that I will communicate what I learn to those around with regards to technological advancements to ensure that my community benefits from increased digitisation as it is very easy to fall victim to the negatives surrounding these innovations. If I ever come across new information regarding technology advancement, the key takeaway is to never stop learning. I will also question new technologies in every capacity whether I am completely unsure of the uses they have or I am concerned surrounding the ethical implications that these technologies may have.
