Overused words and phrases are like an older sibling. You don’t remember your first encounter, but it just seems like they’ve always been around. Because technology is so much a part of living in a modern society, we overuse technological terms that we either don’t fully understand, or if we do understand them conceptually, we can’t quite trace when we learned about the term or whether the literal meaning matches our experience with the technology. I examined the following terms, which are spoken, written about, and marketed even when the meaning isn’t so clear:
Cloud
Images of fluffy, cotton-like clouds in a big, blue sky with endless amounts of space come to mind when I think of clouds. Similarly, in the cloud of technology, there also seems to be copious amounts of open space. In the cloud, one can find information about doctor visits, images from the family reunion, music for morning workouts, and any other data that can be stored on the Internet. What might not be as obvious here is that the verb form of cloud means to confuse; for example, “Do not cloud the issue. Stay focused.” Irony would have it that this head-scratching, widely used technical term also doubles as a descriptor of ambiguity.
hashtag
The hashtag has gained popularity as the symbol that corrals related conversations and interactions among social media users. Traditionally, however, this symbol was recognized as the number sign, the pound sign, or the hash symbol (as used in computer programming languages). Recall the automated voice response system that asks for an account number “followed by the pound key.” Yes, this is still the same pound symbol. It’s just been tagged (no pun intended) for a different purpose.
WI-Fi
It’s become common practice to travel to a new location, and if we want free access to the Internet, we ask questions like:
“Do you have WI-Fi?”
What’s the code to your WI-Fi?”
But what does Wi-Fi really mean? Apparently, the term, WI-Fi, originated from the term, hi-fi, which means high fidelity. But the brand consultant company that invented the term decided that WI-Fi was a catchier name. And they were right.
Big data
This term is close to its intended meaning, but not close enough. The term, big data, does communicate giant sums of data. But it does not communicate the crux of the concept, which is to create connections between fragments of data that can be gathered, analyzed, and interpreted to make important decisions. Perhaps another term, such as decision data, would have made more sense.
Social
Social media creates connections, interactions and circumstances that would have previously been considered serendipitous or impossible. However, these interactions, even video chats, are not social in the traditional sense. Social media might facilitate more human-computer interaction and provide a platform for the exchange of ideas and opinions. But it does not represent face-to-face communication, which allows true social engagement to happen through the essence of human beings.
Smart
A smart board, smart phone, or any other smart device can be programmed to retain all the information that it can receive. These devices are developed to process and produce relevant information when needed, such as directions from a GPS app. With cognitive computing, computers can even be “trained” to observe and make decisions based on the data that it has gathered. However, is smart technology really making us smarter, or is it making us more dependent on the technology, which is getting smarter?
Mobile
Mobility means movement. As a student and instructor of mind-body movement, I immediately think of moving from one place to another when I hear the term, mobile. The design of mobile devices, such as smart phones, tablets, or smart watches are designed to be used regardless of changing locations. However, they are not designed to be used while being mobile. For example, responsible campaigns such as Don’t Text and Drive, have warned against using mobile devices while driving because it creates a dangerous scenario. These devices, therefore, don’t encourage what winds up being a truly mobile experience.
On demand
The term, on demand, carries an aggressive tone that brings to mind an irate boss who pounds out demands until they are met. This image hardly fits the more realistic image of an on-demand scenario, where one can search for their favorite movie to watch during date night.
The overarching principle here is that we, as human beings, will quickly adopt a name, and use it in daily conversation, even if we don’t understand its meaning. We do this not because of what the term means literally; instead, we use the term based on the experience that it represents. As long as the speaker can relate an experience with the term, I expect that we will continue to use terms that have no literal connection with the context in which they are used.
by 