[Interviews Updated]- Uhhh I Need to Ask You A Few Questions for HW - Andy, 9/22/09 @ 11:53 P.M.

-Interviewing My Dad-

[Everything is roughly translated from Cantonese to English, for the convenience of your understanding and my typing]

To start off my interview with my dad, I asked a very vague question: What do you think of technology, like T.V, computers, cellphones?

Once I asked this question, he immediately responded by saying -while watching some TVB show- I don't know; I don't use that kind of stuff (No thinking or desire to think involved). Then I asked, well, how do you perceive us teenagers using this technology and is it good or bad? He said, it's both good and bad. The good is that it's convenient, and the bad is that people aren't using their brains as much (STANDARD). He continues by saying, for example, nowadays we have cars that can bring us places faster, but back then we had bikes. It was slower but we had healthier bodies.

Afterward, I asked him which one of these he would prefer: Retaining our current level of digital technology, Becoming more advanced in digital technology, or Going back to relying mostly on our bodies?

He thought that it would be best if we only relied on our bodies. He said that the "original" [exact word, not translated] was the better way of doing things. But then, he added, if we don't follow technology, we can't keep up with the world. He said that going back is better but is impossible, or not likely. Society will continue to advance- even if you don't like it, you have to like it (very cliche in the Chinese language). My dad also came back to this question a few minutes after discussing, and said that it would be better if the technology continued to advance in society, but reduced within the family. (Hmmm, the separation between "family" and "society" is kind of interesting).

I continued the interview by asking, so what if we didn't have all this digitalized technology? What would you be doing now, if we didn't have this T.V.? (This is where I start playing more of a role)

Read, exercise, tell stories, socialize.

Then I asked them, if all this stuff that you said are good for you, and is what you prioritize, then why are you choosing T.V. over all these things?

He said, well you can watch the news and educate yourself.

Then I asked, is watching the news really educating yourself? Are you even getting the real story? You can't really trust anything until you see it with your own eyes.

Well, there's not enough time to witness everything. We just have to rely on the news.

(This is where I stop, and my dad is just going freestyle)
The more advance that technology gets, the more ambiguous everything else gets. With computers and whatever, people do not think any more (STANDARD). Everybody's mindsets are slowly becoming "not nice" [again, no translation involved], and less personalized, and more like robots. By using technology, we are turning into technology.

He goes on, telling stories about telling stories, and about our life being one of robbery, which I'm still confused about how he connected the two, not sure if he did that or it was just a random thought. But it seems like he was using his head more. In fact, he turned down the volume at one point during the interview.

[Most of it was standard, while the rest were less popular statements, although anticipated ones]
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-Interviewing Strangers-
[Guy at Yogurberry]

What would you do if you didn't have all this technology?
- Sports, you feel more alive when you're playing sports and actively moving.

Do you believe that actively moving is important aspect in life?
- Yes

If it's so important, why do you think people choose to text and use the computer, and feel "not alive"?
- It's more fun to talk on phone. And I become more fun on the phone.

Why is it more fun? Let's say you could only play sports and read books, or talk to your friends, not face to face though, which one would you honestly do?

I would talk to my friends. I like talking. I'm very talkative and I like to talk to people. I am more confident when I am in front of the computer. People become more social through technology.


[Lady with her baby on the streets on Flushing]
Do you spend a lot of time using digital things, such as phones, computers, TVs, or whatever?
- I do, on occasions. But I'm usually very busy, taking care of my child.

How many hours do you think you spend using these digital objects?
- Hmmm. I would say around...5 hours maybe. I don't really use it that much.

What would you do with your free time after your child grows up?
- Most likely reading and meeting up with friends.

What about those 5 hours of digitalization? Do you think those hours will increase or decrease?
- I think that it'll probably remain the same. Most those 5 hours is just me watching TV while eating dinner.

Would you feel ashamed if those hours did increase, then?
- I don't think I would feel ashamed, but I guess it is a negative thing to spend too much time watching TV. But I hope it doesn't turn out that way.

And how would you feel if you child had more than 5 hours of week spent on games, TVs, computer, cell phone, etc?
- I wouldn't be surprised. All those things are just part of the way kids live nowadays. I may not agree with spending that much time, but then again, I come from a different generation. That's just how it is.

Would you do anything to try and reduce the amount of time he spends on those things?
- I probably would, but I don't think it would do anything. I still a lot of kids on the subway and on the streets, just texting on their Sidekicks. And I am willing to bet that all of their parents have said something about it, but they're still doing it.

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-Interviewing Best Friend (Adam)-

AhhDee: what would you do if you didn't have technology, what do you think you would spend your time on?

cloudstrf14: if you mean like electronic technology, i'd be working on cars

AhhDeee: why do you choose this? is this something you value?

cloudstrf14: its something i've always been interested in

AhhDeee: so if you've always been interested in this, why is it your second choice? why is it that you're spending time on the computer, rather tahn working on cars?

cloudstrf14: computers are more easily accesible to me at least, while working with a car i would need a garage and tools, which are limited because i live in the city

AhhDeee: did a similar thought process enter your mind before you got your computer? before it was "easily accesible"?

cloudstrf14: yes, before i had a computer to be interested i would play with legos, which would come by the easiest since i had a big bin of legos that i could do anything my imagination came up with

AhhDeee: so you do whatever is accessible?

cloudstrf14: yes, a scientist has to work with whatever he has at hand

AhhDeee: wait, you didn't always have those objects? so why is that you decided to make things such as legos and computers accessible to you?

cloudstrf14: as far young as i can remember i have had legos and computers

cloudstrf14: i have a picture as proof

AhhDeee: so they're something that is inherited from your parents, sort of speech?

cloudstrf14: yes you could say that

AhhDeee: do you have any extra thoughts about digitalization and technology?

cloudstrf14: i think that there will be a time when technology will come to a distant stop when a engineer lets say, from an early age will have to study the future advnaced technology for his whole lifetime that he will not be able to further the advancment of it anymore. and that cycle would keep repeating itself, until the odd chance that a evolved person will aready understand the curent technology and improve it farther. But that might take years just like the course of evolution took place, (p.s. i don't believe in evolution)