Smart Until Disconnected
Because you're golden until the service drops (you).
Notice: This post is an active work-in-progress and should be considered a draft.
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The idea of wearables and smart appliances and convenient apps is one of utopian idealism on the surface. Unfortunately, this is a fucking joke and the actuality is proving to be a living, breathing dystopian nightmare.
The Ideal
The internet of things holds so much promise. It’s not just convenience, it connects people across the globe in small meaningful ways like never before.
Take accident prevention, for example! Imagine being able to check for certain whether you forgot your stove on by flicking a glance to some easy-access wearable, such as a smart watch. If it turns out to have slipped your mind, you can switch it back off with a simple swipe of your finger. Or better yet, a snappy verbal command.
The Assumptions
The utopian ideal described above relies on several huge assumptions to be eternally and irrefutably true.
- Corporations are benevolent.
- Corporations (or at least their relevant products) will meet your needs.
- The internet is fully ubiquitous.
- The internet will always be functional.
- The service will always be functional.
- You will always be able to afford to access this service.
- The law will be on your side.
The Reality
While this technology is here to stay, the reality is unfortunately that many of the above assumptions are actively incorrect. Which means we, as the population at large, are put in quite a difficult position.
The world sucks. Companies aren’t reliable and they don’t give a rats ass about you, nor can you always acess the internet. We pay more to own less via an increasing number of subscriptions, and those services offer less to the consumer as prices increase.
Capitalism
Corporations are eternally profit-driven and could not give less of a damn about anything but the bottom line. Even when life itself is on the line, there is a cost-benefit analysis and (especially without strict regulation), corporations often err on the side of profit over human lives.
The Internet is Still a Privilege
The internet, while being widely available, has become too necessary for functioning day-to-day while still not being nearly accessible enough.
Can’t afford or don’t want an internet capable device with you at all times? How about keeping it charged? How about being privacy conscious and not wanting to be constantly beaming your data into the universe every second of every minute of every hour every day?
Too bad, so sad. Fuck you.
Out of range.
Not Just App-First: App Only
It’s not just that your device needs to be internet capable. No, no — your device must also support the latest and greatest version of whatever app is required to get your gas, pay for parking, you name it there’s an app for it… and there isn’t always a realistic alternative, either.
You’re Going to Get Locked Out
It is all but guaranteed that at some point, you will lose access to your 2FA/MFA, or the service will find a reason to terminate your account without recourse or reasonable appeal. Hopefully it is to something inconsequential, but what happens when it’s your banking app and you need access to it now but the support hours are not until tomorrow? Worse, what if it’s to do with access to medical care?
”Is Not Available in Your Country”
I swear to fucking goooddddd
It Gets Worse
Enshittification is rant of its own that I will address in the future, but it plays a role here.
Premium Members Only
Fucking SUBSCRIPTIONSSSS
Keeping Up Is Costly
In this economy??
What can we do about this?
Directly, not a lot. It’s practically a requirement to participate in this hellish landscape of connectivity. Thankfully, it does have its upsides and positive impacts. But when things go wrong, they can go so wrong.
Staying informed and maintaining a realistic perspective on what’s happening in this space means you are better equipped to advocate and vote for improved regulations, as well as make more informed decisions about which particular products and services you are willing to dive head-first into. At the very least, to consider having backups and plans in place for when things become inaccessible to you.
References in the Media
Black Mirror highlighted this dystopian nightmare rightly in Common People.
Resources
Citations
Friedman, Hershey & Clifton, Clarke. (2022). Deadly Consequences of Emphasizing Profits over Human Life: How Corporate Greed Has Caused the Death of Millions. Journal of Intercultural Management and Ethics. 5. 19-35. 10.35478/jime.2022.3.03.