Emotionally Sound: Approaches to Sustainable Technology Development
Although emotion may be conveyed in a multitude of different ways, the most effective medium to increase urgency towards developing future technologies is narrative, fictional film, because it elicits an emotional response that is personally connected to the viewer.
Some specific connections between narrative fictional media and motivation for change include:
Although currently there is no saving-grace solution to 100% green technology, visual media offers us the opportunity for motivation, for imagination, and for curiosity. It is through these bedrocks of innovation that new technologies will be created, and eventually, one advanced enough to solve the environmental problem will come to fruition. That day, actual “green technology” that is only dreamt of today will be less of the futuristic hoverboard in Back to the Future, and more of the real-life advancement that we, as humans, have created today.
Some specific connections between narrative fictional media and motivation for change include:
- By creating disparate emotional sensations, films provide connections to characters that insight motivation.
- When film portrays technology negatively, popular opinion will demand the improvement of currently implemented technologies.
- Films that feature eco-friendly advanced technology provide audiences with a visual window to the future that increases the popularity and viability of advancing efficient sustainable systems.
- The creation of positive visual image and atmosphere causes viewers of shorter films or advertisements to approve new implementations of green technology.
- While in most cases the media of film and video provide a compelling motivation for the development of sustainable technology through emotional influence, documentary-style media that fails to capture the audience emotionally does not contribute to generating sustainable technological improvements.
- Messages span the entire scope of visual media. Each and every visual display of an event, a different time or situation, or a different world than humans expect, are all imaginative creations that intend on conveying some idea to other humans.
- Through emotion, the strong connection between personal experiences and events taking place on the screen generates both empathy and restlessness.
The below commercial (regarding Toyota's Prius) exemplifies the concept of ascribing positive emotions to a situation, and a new technological implementation, in order to encourage the consumer to connect positive personal experiences with those on the screen, and subsequently approve of the product.
| Previous page on path | Writing 150 Online Sustainability Blog, page 5 of 5 | Path end, return home |
Discussion of "Emotionally Sound: Approaches to Sustainable Technology Development"
Add your voice to this discussion.
Checking your signed in status ...