Honeycrisp, Incorporated just announced a new, breakthrough product that can read television viewers’ body language and vital signs to determine what their favorite TV programming is and to adjust to channel accodring to what the viewer would like best. For few  viewers, this may be seen as a creepy, unsettling robot  television therapist; for most viewers, though, this  will be one of the  best things they’ve ever experienced. How does this  affect  TV programs in the future, though? How will this affect the  children growing in this technology crazed  era? How will this look  for technology in the future, in general?

Let’s take a look at it from a sociologist’s perspective. How will this affect the culture and future of people, in general? At the time this technology is made known to citizens, it will honestly seem like an awesome new thing for TV addicts. I can hear them now – “Finally, something that I want to watch will be on! And no more countless channel-flipping until I find it!” However, this will render an ugly experience as time goes on. People will become addicted to the technology and the TV, even more than they already are.  People of all ages will want to stop what they’re doing, try out the technology, like the technology, and eventually become addicted to it. When this takes place, people will put this new TV technology above whatever takes more precendence – such as school, exercising perhaps, family time, or work.  Statistics for state educational tests may  lower, obesity / laziness from the people  may  influx, and it won’t get any better as time goes on.  

Because there will be  new technology, how does this look for other TV programs and technological things for the future?  I predict that it will increase  the working horse of technology, and newer, better things will erupt from this. It  is unbelievable and highly unprobable that something like  this would take place – and  now that it  has, think about all the  other possibilities out there. Things that people don’t necessarily need will become available, and this thirst will balloon into what  they believe that they need (which is really just an overdramatized want).

Honestly, I’m not creative enough –  nor do I  necessarily care enough –  to   think of any new, awesome specific technology that may trail from the TV therapist. However, I do believe that positive things could come from this. If it really can read vital signs and moods, this could impact medical technology and the medical field in general in a very enlightening, helpful way. It could be helpful for pyschological studies and help us, as a human race, to realize things about ourselves and to indulge in a study of emotions we never thought would be possible.

I cannot wait to see how this affects the medical field and technology, or the impact that it will have on our society. I believe that if we can create technology like this for entertainment purposes, we will also be able to create it for pyschological and health purposes.