I believe I’m the only person who thought Google’s SuperBowl ad was very well-produced and cute but utterly, totally demonstrative of what’s wrong with Google. It was an anti-beer ad. It was about using technology, instead of getting up off your butt and talking to your friends, going out for a beer, maybe even discovering things on your own and failing a few times in the process because you didn’t have the best search results. It’s acceptable; it’s called life. Again, I thought the narrative style was fantastic, and the storyline was endearing, but let’s be honest: this was a nerd fantasy played out in a search engine. Great to see all of the ways you can search in Google. Utterly stupid to think it’s going to make you better at relationships with French women. Or relationships of any kind. And therein lies the problem.
Greg Papadopoulos, amazing computer scientist, once said “All technology is social.” I repeat that often because it’s true – increasingly, whatever technology we use becomes woven into the fabric of our lives. The Google ad proved that rather strongly. But the converse — “Every social interaction is technology driven” — is patently false, and should be. That’s what rubbed me the wrong way with Google’s SuperBowl spot: they assume that technology can ameliorate any social deficiencies, gaps or needs that we have. Technology helps (look no further than Cameron Sinclair’s Architecture for Humanity that marries technology to sustainable housing) but it in no way supplants the value of getting some face time.
Put in today’s terms: I’ll always drive the four miles to pick Bob up at his place and go for a coffee, and I went out of my way to be sure Bruce and I are on the same hockey team this spring, when we can enjoy a beer together after the game. Something I can’t do on Facebook, with Google, or using Twitter. And that’s a good thing.
