The invention of photography led to a thoughtless society.
Initially, people sought outdoor entertainment, and painting was a popular medium. Painting couldn’t be easily reproduced, and it was more slow and thoughtful, reflecting the culture of the time. Pointillism was a popular painting style during the rise of photography in the late 19th century.
Photography and the Daguerrotype allowed for nature to be instantaneously replicated, speeding up communication. The first photography was on pinhole cameras, creating an effect similar to this.
After the camera, radios were the next innovation in communication. They provided a medium for news to spread across the country on a daily basis. With information so easily accessible, the relevancy of news decreased, prioritizing entertainment over impact.
Photography led to the proliferation of advertisements, first in magazines and then everywhere, resulting in department stores. General stores decreased specialization and sped up the time it takes to purchase daily goods. Speed surpassed quality.
TV and news/entertainment shows contributed to information glut. As random facts and trivia became more abundant, the reasons and logic behind the stories became less important. TV changed the home from a place of refuge to a place of consumption.
Computers made information accessible everywhere. Things no longer had to be remembered because they could be Googled.
With the invention of smart phones, every spare minute can be spent consuming information, chatting friends, and receiving entertainment. Any time spent thinking can be substituted for time scrolling.
Then came AI. With instantaneous responses and answers, it takes photography’s impact to the furthest extreme. It makes thinking and waiting unnecessary.
We can already talk to AI on programs like ChatGPT and Snapchat AI. If this continues, we might even be able to Facetime with AI. It provides instantaneous entertainment.
With speed of interactions increasing and thoughtless, instantaneous communication becoming habitual, AI will continue to rise, leaving human connection [and photography] in the past.
