I started the Self Awareness Club. The club has over 50 members with different backgrounds. Each week different readings and activities are given. We explored how technology and self-awareness interacted. Are we doomed to live a future outlined by Wall-E or can technology help us become more aware of our selves? Below is the original invitation for the group:
This semester, I hope to start a reading group on a topic I feel is addressed in Media Lab classes, but never confronted straight on: Self Awareness (through Technology)
It seems that modern technology pushes further away from ourselves and our environment: TV, Cellphones, Fast Food, etc.
But this is only by choice, how can we make technology that actually encourages us to reflect back on ourselves?
This "reflection" can occur on many levels- Looking at your personal bank statement, getting instant feedback on your heart rate, seeing where you have traveled on googlemaps, etc. I imagine all of you work with this on some level.
The question I want to answer through this reading group is: What is the value of self-awareness and how can technology help people grow it?
This can take many different directions, depending on the direction the group wants to take it, some initial questions that popped up include:
1. Why is being self-aware important?
2. How can self-awareness accurately be measured or quantified?
3. Is being self-aware enough, or does it need to come with a motivation for change, and how is that applied?
4. Why is technology made to push people away from Self Awareness (TV for example)? Is there innate human desire to lose are awareness?
5. What are the effects of instantaneous feedback? (eg. showing someone their emotional state as they experience it)
6. What are previous methods that have been used to encourage Self Awareness?
7. Insert as many other topics as you want to cover here
The initial plan (though this also depends on group input) is to have a weekly meeting where we discuss 1 or 2 peer reviewed articles each week. My favorite part of learning is doing, so I hope we can make activities to do our own "mini experiments" based on the readings each week as well. (For example, wear a carrot on your neck all day, and analyze how much more do you look in on yourself, and why). With interest, each week can be taught by a different person, with their own passion in mind.
This is a 100% open group. That means there is no requirements, you can come, your professor can come, your grandma can come, and depending on Media Lab pet rules, your cat can come as well. Small caveat, professors who come must act like students :)
So if you are still reading this, you probably are somewhat interested, so please email me back with how you would like to participate. I see four levels so far:
1. Just put me on the Email list, I want to hear about what you are doing.
2. I'm planning on coming to at least the first meeting.
3. I am so there, this is awesome.
4. I want to help you set up the group, and help be a major founder in making this work
Please feel free to forward this to other people if you think they would be interested.
Thanks so much, I feel privileged to work in a lab that encourages me to follow my passions, and where others share that passion.
With love,
Elliott Hedman