The (Human) Cost of Our Crap

Posted by Leon  at January 9th, 2012

Over the weekend, on my way from point A to point B I caught an episode of “This American Life“. I always enjoy the program but this week it caught my ear because (as you might be able to guess, given this is me we’re talking about) it was about computer stuff. I didn’t tune at the very beginning, but at the point I first started listening I hear phrases that include ”…like Blade Runner had thrown up on itself…” and “…like going from the Eloi to the Morlocks…”

OK, you had me at Blade Runner.

Once I got past the geeky joy of it, what I was left with was a story that left me confused and overwhelmed and conflicted.

(As a side note, it was the first of two times that weekend I would be left in this state. The second time was watching a show on the Food Network, that I wrote about in the essay “Waste Not”.)

I could go on a long, rambling synopsis of the episode. Or I could talk about how it affected me deeply and how I’m looking at my technology differently.  Or I could begin to pose questions about how we could possibly act to change the status quo.

And all of that is true, and all of that is important.

But first, I think you need to listen to it yourself. Here it is:

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/454/mr-daisey-and-the-apple-factory

I’ll wait. Post a comment when you’re done, and let the conversation begin.