Upgrade Me! Tech Gadgets and Society
(eVideo)

English

Encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on May 04, 2010.

Access Video On Demand is distributed by Infobase for Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Meridian Education, and Shopware.

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The future is digital, but is it beautiful? In this program, technology enthusiast Simon Armitage seeks to understand the world's love affair with all things tech and why consumers have bought into an upgrade culture where the "next big thing" may be more about desire and status than it is about functionality. Raising many thought-provoking questions, Armitage introduces viewers to a generation of digital natives for whom tech tools are the norm; delves into the psychological factors that have turned many people into gadget-junkies; examines the ceaselessly accelerating production cycles for upgrades of all kinds; reveals scientific advances underpinning items in Samsung's ultra-cool consumer product lines; and questions the effects of tech on people's relationship with the world and with each other. He also looks to the future, where "Upgrade me!" may become literal as the line between human and machine grows more and more blurred.

10 & up.

Mode of access: Internet.

System requirements: Access Video On Demand playback platform.

Closed-captioned.