Technology for Technology’s Sake

My friend Bruce recently posted an item on his blog about using technology just simply to use it. He makes a great point about how, sometimes, we’re so quick to use new technology that perhaps we don’t even know why we’re using it.

When we use new technology, we must ask the question: Does the use of this great new technology benefit my audience? In other words, are people asking for it or are you simply giving it to them for the sake of using something new.

Bruce uses CNN as an example. On election night, CNN used its brand new “hologram” technology to conduct an interview with the Black Eyed Peas Will.I.Am.

As I commented on Bruce’s blog, I was blown away by the hologram. Not because it was so cool, but because it was so lame.

These 24-hour news networks have so much air to fill and most days there just isn’t enough news to fill it. The result is, we’re given fluff pieces with no real news value.

Election night and the hologram was a perfect example of this. On a night when there is actual news, CNN was still struggling to fill air time. So, they pulled the hologram stunt.

You must ask what the purpose was to interview Will.I.Am in the first place … it had no real news value. So, to dress that up, they turned him into a hologram.

The first few minutes of the interview were spent talking about the fact that he was a hologram in the studio … what news value did this have?

The fact is, not only do they have to fill air time; they also have to compete with all the other news networks for ratings. The result is silly stunts that only add to the ridiculousness of 24-hour news networks.

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Tags: Blogging, In the News, Interesting