The Star reports today on an iphone app developed by the LCBO. It lets you send a pre-recorded message to a friend to warn them about the perils of drinking and driving.
Sez the LCBO marketing boffin:
Customer research suggests the toughest thing for many hosts is approaching guests on the issue of drinking and driving, hence the arm’s length approach to an issue that is often the elephant in room.Well, okay, but why is no one talking about the other elephant in the room, the fact that more and more of our social interactions are being mediated through technology, taking away our ability or desire to actually communicate directly with others? High tech meets passive aggressiveness, and to no one's surprise, it's like they were meant for each other.
I give full marks to the LCBO for attempting an education campaign, but few marks to the end result, and even fewer marks to the final users who are happy to abdicate responsibility by pressing a button on a screen. It will be interesting to see how use of this app might be used as a legal defense "I sent the drunk guy who drove, crashed, and crippled himself a message in someone else's voice telling him how concerned I was about him driving that night, what else could I have done?" "My client pushed the send button, Your Honour; we have the data records to prove it."
No comments:
Post a Comment