Habits Change. Social Implications? Not so much

An oft cited example when people talk about the social implications of surveillance like technology (Think Ray Ban Meta Glasses with a camera in front of them) is the malleability of people’s habits and social norms, “Just like AirPods which were ridiculed at first, have become social norm today, glasses with a camera on them could too” is something I’ve often heard.

Here’s the thing. Habits change. The AirPods are personal computing devices that have zero impact on the people around them. The first AirPods customers looked goofy, that’s it; and people eventually found them to be more convenient and started wearing them more often. It did not have an immediate impact on the people around them.

Glasses with a camera attached to them are another issue entirely. They have an immediate impact on the people around you. Put a camera in front of a person and they immediately become conscious of what they’re saying. There’s an implication of recording. It’s almost as if the camera lens gives the “affordance” of this being surveillance tech. Do we expect people to become comfortable with such technology? Do we expect people to just start being ok with being recorded without consent? Heck no.

Look at the amount of crime, and creep that people face every day with surreptitious “recordings” (Sure that’s unheard off, if you’re a cis-het male in the most posh neighborhood of Silicon Valley, but there’s a world outside that bubble). The social reaction to such tech becoming mainstream will be visceral, and for good reason; for its not just a change of habit, it’s the change of social dynamic.

Movie Review: Sitaare Zameen Par

Despite being overly simplistic, rather repetitive in its preachings and a tad too predictable, I thoroughly enjoyed Sitaare Zameen Par. It's a heart-warming movie that's breezy and fun in its entertainment.

Sitaare Zameen Par works best when its stars (the team of neurodivergent basketball players) are having fun. It's watching these absolute gems work their way through a basketball tournament that's so delightful. The writers give the characters ample depth and never turn them into caricatures. The humor is sensitive and the movie will have you consistently break into giggles.

Ashish Pendse (Sunil) and Rishi Shahani (Sharma Ji) are absolutely incredible. Pendse lights up the screen every time he shows up, his comic timing, his acting is all top-notch. Shahani (an olympic gold medalist IRL) speaks more with his expressions than his dialogue.

What doesn’t work: It’s a movie that has few new ideas. It wants to teach a lot in a very short time, and it wants to coach people into the dos and don't, that hardly works. If the goal is to sensitize people to be empathetic towards neurodivergent people, it's not gonna win over any fans, for it's too preachy for those that most need the lesson.

Overall, difficult to dislike the movie, I had a good time watching the movie wish it was a tad shorter though.

I am glad we finally have a Bollywood movie that's not about the blood lust, breaking bones, or revenge. Pleasant change this is.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Good, but not great)