TY - JOUR
T1 - Analysing and solving the reduced-ability and excessive-use dilemmas in technology use
AU - Wesugi, Shigeru
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper forms part of the research performed under a Waseda University Special Research Period. The author would like to thank Prof. Peter-Paul Verbeek for his support during my stay at the University of Twente. The author would also like to thank Enago (www.enago.jp) for the English language review.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Design Society. All rights reserved.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Technology use provides great benefits by extending human ability, but the negative effects cannot always be ignored. The author examined the dilemmas of technology use based on Shibata's analysis of McLuhan's extension theory and indicated two types of dilemmas in continuous technology use. First is the decreased human ability as the innate functionality is substituted by the technology. Second is excessive utilisation of the technology, which may instil a false sense of naturally extended ability. Subsequently, the author considered and suggested approaches for mitigating both types of dilemmas. The decreased-ability dilemma might be resolved by continuously utilising the technology and designing technology relevant to the degree of human ability. Meanwhile, the excessive-utilisation dilemma might be resolved by regulating the technology use and designing technology that achieves the desired disposition change in users. Finally, the possibility of advancing the existing design approaches to further resolve the dilemmas was discussed.
AB - Technology use provides great benefits by extending human ability, but the negative effects cannot always be ignored. The author examined the dilemmas of technology use based on Shibata's analysis of McLuhan's extension theory and indicated two types of dilemmas in continuous technology use. First is the decreased human ability as the innate functionality is substituted by the technology. Second is excessive utilisation of the technology, which may instil a false sense of naturally extended ability. Subsequently, the author considered and suggested approaches for mitigating both types of dilemmas. The decreased-ability dilemma might be resolved by continuously utilising the technology and designing technology relevant to the degree of human ability. Meanwhile, the excessive-utilisation dilemma might be resolved by regulating the technology use and designing technology that achieves the desired disposition change in users. Finally, the possibility of advancing the existing design approaches to further resolve the dilemmas was discussed.
KW - Design method
KW - Early design phases
KW - Ethics
KW - Technology
KW - User centred design
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U2 - 10.1017/dsi.2019.145
DO - 10.1017/dsi.2019.145
M3 - Conference article
AN - SCOPUS:85079785567
SN - 2220-4334
VL - 2019-August
SP - 1393
EP - 1402
JO - Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED
JF - Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED
T2 - 22nd International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED 2019
Y2 - 5 August 2019 through 8 August 2019
ER -