The Digitorium
Aanya Gupta
It’s no secret that our technology is far from neutral, and that the invasiveness of the devices and systems we hold dearest runs exceedingly deep. Nonetheless, self-determination and living in the digital age is no contradiction, it is simply something that must be fought for everyday. The Digitorium explores our already hair (and eyebrow) raising interactions with our digital systems, as well as serves to illustrate the road we are headed down if we do not curb our fluent dependence on technology. The Digitorium is composed of five independent explorations, that form a timeline ranging from our present social media habits, to an artificially intelligent future with unlimited opportunities. Each exploration takes a more interactive approach to the idea it tackles, as opposed to the data-heavy, high-handed outlook that most pieces critiquing technology have. Eye Spy brings to light the dark side of social media by humanizing the omnipresent data collection aspect; (Un)plugged forces the players to confront the chilling truth within; DOT critiques and regulates the time idled away in front of a screen; Love In The Binary takes a playful eye to modern love; and Cerebra speculates the future of digital assistants and data storage. Ideally, the viewer interacts with The Digitorium, and dictates their own inference regarding the future of the digital self. The title, Digitorium comes from the idea that we’re setting ourselves up to live in a digital society that functions as a sort of aquarium, where we will eventually trap ourselves in a spectacle with no escape.