Informing Ourselves to Death
To what extent has computer technology been an advantage to the masses of people? … These people have had their private matters made more accessible to powerful institutions. They are more easily tracked and controlled; they are subjected to more examinations and are increasingly mystified by the decisions made about them. They are more often reduced to mere numerial objects. They are being buried by junk mail. They are easy targets for advertising agencies and political organizations. The schools teach their children to operate computerized systems instead of teaching things that are more valuable to children … It is to be expected that the winners … will encourage the losers to be enthusiastic about computer technology … they tell them that their lives will be conducted more efficiently, discreetly neglecting to say from whose point of view or what might be the costs of such efficiency.