What is real?

I recently read Byron Reeves’ and Clifford Nass’ The Media Equation. The following is a summary combined with some of my own thoughts. Please enjoy.


The Media Equation can best be summarized as a collection of rule to keep in mind when creating media and documentation of the experiments which proved all of these rules. In the end it turns out that people treat computers and media the same way as they treat real people.


If we perceive media as reality and apply a single set of social behaviors to both media and reality, then can media/computer personalities create stereotypes and instill prejudice behaviors that will be carried over into the real world by people who interact with those virtual personalities? Can this be used in a positive way to eliminate stereotypes or will this most likely lead to negative effects? Has it already happened? Is it happening now?


If someone is abusive to a robot/machine, then is that person likely abusive to people as well?


This was a question I asked in class. I think that most of the class just laughed it off, and it seemed as if they didn’t pay much attention to the actual question. That may have been because of the tone with which I asked the question. Never the less, I feel that it is an important question. According to the media equation, if someone abuses robots, then they abuse people too. If they don’t, it would only be because they show more self control when confronting people because of the consequences. A robot will not tell on you, and there is likely little or no consequence. On the other hand, a person will call the police, landing the abuser in a world of trouble. It seems to me that someone who abuses a robot holds in abusive tendencies that, were there no consequences, would be unleashed on people.