The Internet of Things / Locative and Physical Media

While there are clear concerns inherent to the expansion of the internet of things, the revolutionary potential for quality of life improvement cannot be understated. Objects with internet connectivity integrate new technology into the daily routines of our lives, as described in Neil Gershenfeld and JP Vasseur’s article “As Objects Go Online: The Promise (and Pitfalls) of the Internet of Things”. In one example, they speculate about how city planning stands to be enhanced by blogjects that can register information pertaining to traffic and transportation. They write, “If every street lamp, fire hydrant, bus, and crosswalk were connected to the Internet, then a city could generate real-time readouts of what’s working and what’s not.” From there, city policy makers can look to the gathered data when tackling issues dealing with traffic congestion, car accident rates, etc. With this in mind, imagine not just cities, but whole countries, whose roads and highways have been redesigned based on information obtained in this manner. The internet of things could effectively lower accident rates dramatically on a national scale, saving numerous lives in the process.

Of course, it is important to recognize the ways in which the internet of things can be harmful to society as well. Domestic violence, for example, is often perpetrated through the use of internet-connected objects, which allow abusers to monitor, control, and manipulate those around them. “Thermostats, Locks and Lights: Digital Tools of Domestic Abuse,” by Nellie Bowles, examines how various smart devices can be taken advantage of and used for nefarious purposes. In one example, a woman’s husband had taken to controlling her through his power over their home’s thermostat. He would take away her warmth as a means by which to assert his dominance, and he would do it using an internet connected device. While solutions to these abuses often depend on the exact object being used by the abuser, there are some ways that companies may be able to ensure that their products are not used in this way. Emergency codes or backdoor access points in a product’s software may allow for abuse victims to take back control of these devices. Spreading awareness of the potential for harm in these devices is crucial. Abuse victims may not be aware that they are being monitored by objects in their own home, and companies are morally obligated (though unfortunately, not legally so) to disclose this information to the public, which might allow victims an opportunity to escape this form of digital abuse.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.