Remember... technology is with us so we can be more human

John Maeda is participating in the Economist debate series, and in his opening statement, he makes a great reflection on what's the best use we can make of technology :

"Recognize simplicity as being about two goals realized simultaneously: the saving of time to realize efficiencies, and later wasting the time that you have gained on some humanly pursuit. Thus true simplicity in life is one part technology, and the other part away from technology."

What I liked about Maeda's statement is that he reminds us something that many seem to have forgotten: technology has to help us avoid the tasks we don't want to do so then we can focus our attention on what makes us happier (and here I am connecting happiness with freedom).

For example, what is the point on giving so much attention to all these social networking tools if at the end, we end up spending the whole day behind a computer, 'maintaining' our relationships with our 452 Facebook friends, poking and twittering them, and spending less and less time doing the activities that characterize us as humans?


[Edouard Manet "The picnic". 1862-63]