In today’s society, media and communication are driving forces of interaction. Wikipedia suggests, “Interaction is a kind of action that occurs as two or more objects have an effect upon one another. The idea of a two-way (or more) effect is essential in the concept of interaction, as opposed to a one-way causal effect.” In this instance the developments in digital technology have advanced this ‘action’ to incorporate numerous interactive elements. Prior to the digital wave of new technology, interaction was almost sought out, playing a role in a consumers life only when computer information was understood. To explain this I refer to Paul Dourish’s text, ‘A History of Interaction’ in which he explores the history of the computer from electric and analog to tangible and social computing. Dourish suggests that interaction in electric computers was purely focused on the machine itself, therefore not inherently apart of the physical world, “the analog computer was the apparatus for laboratory simulations that took place not in the physical world, but in an analogous electronic reality,” (2004 p. 6). However, it is here that the relationship between electronic and digital computing can be seen. Dourish argues, “Grudin (1990) describes the history of interaction as the story of the ‘computer reaching out’ in which interaction moves from being directly focused on the physical machine to incorporating more and more of the user’s world and the social setting,” (2004 p. 5), shaping the role of interaction in today’s digital society.

Interaction can take any form, from ‘engaging’ with a pen to write on a piece of paper to using a door handle to open a door. Suggestively, it is concerned with the action between two elements that have a cause and effect appeal. To reiterate what was previously said, the developments of new technology have significantly changed this interactive state. In today’s society, virtual and augmented realities are fairly new concepts to grasp. As computer simulated environments that attempt to replicate reality they create new experiences for audiences that was not previously imaginable. In this sense and as Dourish suggests “…how we are increasingly encountering computation that moves beyond the traditional confines of the desk and attempts to incorporate itself more richly into our daily experience of the physical and social world,” (2004, p. 15). The essence of this argument, justifies the interaction of design, in that digital technology is created to suit a user’s needs and experiences. Ultimately, the technology becomes an extension of these experiences rather than a separate entity as apparent in electronic computing. An example of this is the development in Google Maps. As a general theory, maps are an interactive way of engaging with an environment to find locations in particular spaces. Google Maps has taken advantage of this technology to cater to individuals on a new level. The new technology enables a new sense of control with better directions, predictions, organisation, searchability and reliance. In this way Google Maps helps a user to make choices where they cannot get lost. However, this raises questions of the type of interaction of design that is concerned here. I would argue that this kind of technological development may diminish human interaction in a physical sense based on arguments relating to public space. The novelty of finding a location, and potentially engaging with others in the same environment no longer exists. However, in their attempts to suit an individuals experiences and hobbies, Google Maps is engaging with the developments of virtual and augmented realities to completely immerse users in the digital age. Dourish sums up this idea precisely, “It attempts to understand how the ‘dialogue’ between users and computers can be seen as similar and dissimilar to the way in which we interact with each other. Social science offers models of social action and the establishment of social meaning, which provide insight into the design of interaction with software systems. At the same time, anthropological and sociological approaches have been applied to uncovering the mechanisms through which people organise their activity, and the role that social and organisational settings play in this process,” (2004, p. 16). Computer systems and technology are shaping interactivity in more ways then can be grasped. With developments in robotics information and labour that was once support in the physical world is now being translated in a virtual reality that has significant impacts on society in general.

REFERENCES

Anon. (n.d.) ‘Virtual Reality’, Wikipedia, accessed 30 March 2014http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality

Anon. (n.d.) ‘Augmented Reality’, Wikipedia, accessed 30 March 2014, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augmented_reality

Dourish, Paul (2004) ‘A History of Interaction’, in Where the Action Is: The Foundations of Embodied Interaction, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press: 1-23

Morozov, E 2013 ‘My Map or Yours?’, Slate, accessed 30 March 2014, http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/05/google_maps_personalization_will_hurt_public_space_and_engagement.html