“All that once was directly lived has become representation. . . . The real consumer has become a consumer of illusions” (Guy Debord, 1967).

The Situationists, an international revolutionary group of the ’50s critical of capitalist culture, spoke of “The Society of the Spectacle” – which alienated people through a mediated and commoditized social envinroment.

Media and products, in the Situationists’ view, dull the audience and control desire. Half a century later,  we have newly created media with greatly expanded scope –which reinforce the Situationists’ principles. In the new digital millennium it seems that desires are not controlled, yet are accepted as long as there is a market product associated with it, channeled through and stimulated by the media.

Situationists perceived that in capitalism, emotions become transmuted into market products – and we have to pay up to redeem our emotions. The market, as they saw it, first takes away our real needs for connection and authenticity, then offers a pale reflection of the real – making us always thirsty for a real which will never come.

The need for connection today is expressed through social networks which appear free and democratic. Yes, many Internet services are free of charge, but if we calculate hardware, software, the Internet connection – plus our time and attention – the cost must be reconsidered.

Moreover, the Situationists observed that people in our society are programmed to live a life that is merely a representation of a real life. Through technology needs have been created in order to sell solutions. And the hi-tech market doesn’t even require much in the way of commodities any more, since it is represented digitally – making Debord’s words about becoming consumers of illusions blatant.

“Once we have surrendered our senses and nervous systems to the private manipulation of those who would try to benefit from taking a lease on our eyes and ears and nerves, we don’t really have any rights left” (McLuhan, Understanding Media, 1964).

In a depersonalized world it seems as if the only "personalization" we can get comes from advertised products and from technology. Customized cars, clothes fashion that "express your real individuality", software that "adapts to your needs", custom themes for our blogs, software for "tailoring every detail of your web site", customization of our social networking pages and so on.

But at the same time, less and less people have enough time and attention anymore to listen to each other in an empathic way. Human interaction is just another window in the attention deficit disordered multitasking craze.

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In un mondo spersonalizzato sembra che le sole "personalizzazioni" che possiamo ottenere siano dai prodotti pubblicizzati e dalla tecnologia. Automobili personalizzate, moda con cui si può "esprimere ls propria vera individualità", software che "si adatta ai nostri bisogni", temi personalizzati per i nostri blog, software su misura per "controllare ogni dettagli del sito web", strumenti per personalizzare le nostre pagine dei social network, e così via.

Ma allo stesso tempo, sempre meno persone hanno sufficiente tempo e attenzione per ascoltarsi a vicenda in modo empatico. L'interazione umana non è altro che un'altra finestra nel patologico multitasking da deficit di attenzione.

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Hey, but with products and custom software we can feel cared and understood again in our most intimate personality. The situationists ideas in Debord's 1968 book The Society of the Spectacle noted that in our commercial society we have to pay to get back our lost feelings. Little seems changed since then. Advertisers know very well which parts of the soul we are missing. First the consumerist society removes nature and human relationships from our life leaving us with holes in our soul desperate to be filled. Advertisers know that those holes won't ever be filled since what they propose as fillings is not the real thing and will just leave the consumer craving for more and more in the illusion of an ultimate satisfaction.

In 1965 Mike Jagger was singing "I can't get no satisfaction 'cause I try and I try and I try and I try", and we are all still trying… But wait… there's a new release of that blog technology, it has even a plug-in for showing my personal avatar. That’s really me isn’t it?

See also:

Biotech as an information system

Virtual worlds, mirror worlds, Second Life: backing up the messed planet

Mechanisms, mysticism and Amazon Mechanical Turk

Zen archery and computers

Lifelogging

The heart of the binary code

Downloading our life on Internet

Google, privacy and the need to be seen

Personal consumer

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Ehi, però con i prodotti e i software personalizzati possiamo sentirci di nuovo considerati e compresi nella nostra intima personalità. Le idee dei situazionisti espresse nel libro di Debord La Società dello spettacolo notavano che nalla società commerciale dobbiamo pagare per riprendere le emozioni perdute. Sembra cambiato poco da allora. I pubblicitari sanno molto bene quali sono le parti della nostra anima di cui sentiamo la mancanza. Come prima cosa la società dei consumi ci toglie il rapporto con la natura e le relazioni umane, lasciandoci con delle carenze che la nostra anima cerca disperatamente di riempire. I pubblicitari sanno che tali vuoti non potranno mai essere colmati poichè ciò che propongono come "riempitori" non è l'autentico bisogno. Quindi il consumatore si ritroverà a desiderare sempre di più nell'illusione di una soddisfazione definitiva.

Nel 1965 Mick Jagger cantava "I can’t get no satisfaction ’cause I try and I try and I try and I try”, e tutti quanti stiamo ancora provando ad essere soddisfatti. Ma… aspetta… c'è una nuova versione di quel blog che ha addirittura un modulo per mostrare il mio avatar personale. Quello sono proprio io, non è vero?

Vedi anche:

Le biotecnologie come sistema informativo

Mondi virtuali, mondi specchio, Second Life: fare il backup di un pianeta nel caos

Meccanismi, misticismi e Mechanical Turk di Amazon

Il tiro con l'arco Zen e i computer

Lifelogging

Il cuore del codice binario

Download della vita su Internet

Google, la privacy e il mettersi in mostra

Personal consumatore

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