Introduction
by Merlyna Lim
Welcome to “The Digital in 2073: A Glimpse into the Future,” a captivating collection of essays that transports you to a future where the digital landscape has dramatically transformed. Curated from the outstanding work of students in the COMS4317 “Digital Media and Global Network Society” seminar, this special issue features five insightful essays that delve into either utopian or dystopian visions of our digital future.
As you navigate this collection, you’ll encounter explorations of how technology shapes humanity, touching on themes of isolation, ethics, AI rights, freedom, control, and privacy. Each author draws on historical insights while exercising their imaginative prowess, challenging the boundaries of our current understanding.
The collection opens with “From Revolution to Reconnection: Tracing the Journey to a Digital Utopia” by Erika Ehrenberg. In this sole utopian essay, Ehrenberg reflects on a harmonious future fifty years after her talk at Carleton University. She paints a picture of a society that, despite early 21st-century anxieties, has flourished alongside digital innovations, prioritizing human values over profit-driven motives, thanks to the revolutionary wave of the ‘anti-technotrol’ movement in the 2050s.
Next, in “Futures Entwined: Technology’s Grip on Society from ARPANET to AI” Olivia L. Meikle charts the internet’s evolution from its humble beginnings in the 1970s to the foreboding reality of 2073. Her keen critique exposes the perilous shift from collective internet use to corporate monopolization, cautioning that without united resistance, we risk deepening the systemic biases and class disparities woven into our technological advancements.
Jake Andrews takes us deeper into the dark future with his gripping first-person narrative “Techno-Tyranny: When the Future Became Our Prison”. In this dystopian vision, humanity grapples with the aftermath of war and environmental collapse, as technology shifts from a beacon of hope to a source of enslavement. Andrews serves a stark reminder of the urgent need for vigilance in our relationship with technology.
Janelle Hamstra‘s essay, “The End of an Anti-Utopian Era: How Digital Technology is Leading to Dystopia,” explores a future where once-vibrant urban landscapes have withered away due to digital overdependence. Drawing from scholars like Manuel Castells and Douglas Rushkoff, she highlights how digital technology amplifies isolation and undermines democratic values, calling for proactive measures to prevent a bleak future.
Closing this compelling issue is Sofia Ali‘s reflective piece, “The Diary from 2073: Living in a Digital Nightmare”. Through her candid diary entry, Ali contrasts her once-optimistic views of technology with the grim realities of 2073, marked by ethical decay and societal inequities. She powerfully argues for the need to prioritize ethical considerations in technology design to avert the pitfalls we face.
Prepare to be challenged, inspired, and perhaps even unsettled as you embark on this exploration of our digital future, filled with possibilities and cautionary tales alike!
Merlyna Lim, The Editor