Pressing matters : the finger-tip control of technology in America's age of affluence
The way in which people interact with machines is changing rapidly. The touch screen has become so common now that it no longer rouses amazement. It is also likely that voice control will become more ubiquitous and even the idea that individuals will be able to control common consumer technologies merely by thinking a command is no longer in the realm of science fiction. It is surprising then how little attention has been focused on the historical and cultural contexts out of which the hyper-efficient control of machines has arisen. This thesis offers to be the first cultural history of the finger-tip control of technology. Its historical context is mid-twentieth century America, a time and place in which pushbutton contrivances became common facets of life from the preparation of toast on breakfast tables to the manufacture of toasters on automated assembly lines. Looking at magazine editorials and market research reports; company memos and union newsletters; state-sponsored trade fairs and especially advertisements from the period, I examine how the mere âtouch of a buttonâ on things like TV sets, automobile dashboards and elevator cars could be understood as the exemplary means of task execution and
Weiss, E. H.
Pressing matters : the finger-tip control of technology in America's age of affluence. The way in which people interact with machines is changing rapidly. The touch screen has become so common now that it no longer rouses amazement. It is also likely that voice control will become more ubiquitous and even the idea that individuals will be able to control common consumer technologies merely by thinking a command is no longer in the realm of science fiction. It is surprising then how little attention has been focused on the historical and cultural contexts out of which the hyper-efficient control of machines has arisen. This thesis offers to be the first cultural history of the finger-tip control of technology. Its historical context is mid-twentieth century America, a time and place in which pushbutton contrivances became common facets of life from the preparation of toast on breakfast tables to the manufacture of toasters on automated assembly lines. Looking at magazine editorials and market research reports; company memos and union newsletters; state-sponsored trade fairs and especially advertisements from the period, I examine how the mere âtouch of a buttonâ on things like TV sets, automobile dashboards and elevator cars could be understood as the exemplary means of task execution and
pressing matter finger control technology america age affluence way_people interact machine change rapidly touch screen become_common long also likely voice control become ubiquitous even idea individual able control common consumer technology merely think command longer realm science fiction surprising little_attention focus historical cultural_context hyper efficient control machine arisen offer first cultural_history finger control technology historical_context america time_place become_common facet life preparation table manufacture automate assembly line looking magazine editorial market report company union newsletter state sponsored trade fair especially advertisement period examine mere touch thing like set car could understand exemplary mean task execution