In his article for REALLIFE magazine titled ‘Fidget Spinner’, Jason Farman explores the misconceptions that are found in the relationship technology has created with our perception of time. His argument challenges the notion that waiting can only be associated with discomfort. He encourages the reader to instead indulge themselves in boredom, as it is discovered to be a core process in the exchange of messages.
The article begins with Farman introducing the buffering icon as a counter-intuitive solution to the impatient user’s problems. He informs the reader that contrary to its function, the buffering icon is ‘associated with boredom and discomfort’[1]. With this being his centremost argument, the reality of Farman’s situation is not as dire as he depicts. The digital era has produced a generation of users that suffer an attention deficit disorder resulting in continual multitasking when online. The concern for the well-being of our downloads and messages is not as severe as the author makes out. In fact, while busying ourselves amongst other digital tasks, little concern is given to the progress of our transferences as we trust modern technology to deliver with little room for error.
In his text, Farman explains that our expectations are composed of two components: cultural and cognitive influences. In a description of the evolution of the buffering icon amongst early computing devices, the reader can understand where preconceptions of the appropriate waiting times originated establishing cultural understanding of expectation. Farman’s choice to include these developments in the article could help in providing some historical context, however it is felt that it serves more as a distraction from his main argument.
At this point in the reading it is clear to the audience that our experience of time can be ‘manipulated through technology and interface design’[2]. Farman illustrates the point well by siting a case study on Amazon, where it was found that for every 100 milliseconds of latency the company lost 1% of revenue. These findings urged the building of new servers closer to partner companies to reduce customer loading delays and profit loss. Conversely, it was found that Facebook and the likes of travel agents added false latency to produce a more trusted response by consumers. Providing real life examples, Farman creates a substantial argument supported by fact making for a more plausible theory that focuses on intangible processes of the mind.
In his text, Farman acknowledges R.Barthes work on the eroticism of waiting, exploring the notions of how as we wait our desires cultivate and eventually end up defining our relationships with the longed for person or object. Allowing ourselves to live in the fantasies however is self-destructive as our expectations consistently surpass reality. Farman’s decision to illustrate his points through use of romantic text allows him to captivate the readers imagination, lending themselves to the idea more easily, ultimately agreeing with it.
In conclusion, Farman presents an argument that offers an alternative view on waiting, however over exaggerates the issues he presents weakening his theory.
Bibliography: [1] Jason Farman (28 June 2017) ‘Fidget Spinners: How buffer icons have shaped our sense of time’ Reallife. Available at: http://reallifemag.com/fidget-spinners/. [2] Jason Farman (28 June 2017) ‘Fidget Spinners: How buffer icons have shaped our sense of time’ Reallife. Available at: http://reallifemag.com/fidget-spinners/.
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