Saturday, January 19, 2013

Two Dell Computer Commercials: Technology and Human Progress.

The Power to Do More: Business Solutions and Dell Technology. Video. DellVlog. YouTube, September 20, 2012.

Meet Annie: The Girl Who Could Fly. Video. DellVlog. YouTube, July 20, 2012.

These two commercials from Dell Computer are a good rejoinder to Yuval Noah Harari’s contention that “progress” is a fraud; that new technologies increase the collective power of the human species at the expense of individual well-being. These commercials show how technology, Dell computers in particular, can empower and improve the lives of individuals. A girl lets her imagination take flight; entrepreneurs create new businesses and new wealth; the prehistoric world is digitally brought to life for the knowledge and wonderment of a new generation; and a young woman defeats cancer to get a second chance at life. All of these individuals pursued their dreams, climbed their mountains, and improved the quality of their own lives and others through the power of computer technology. And of course this blog is written on a Dell computer.