The Fate of Google Glass

Joel Hladecek:

Wearing Google Glass made users feel like they didn’t have to connect with the actual humans around them. “I’m elsewhere — even though I appear to be staring right at you.” Frankly the people who wore Google Glass were afraid of the people around them. And Glass gave them a strange transparent hiding place. A self-centered context for suffering through normal moments of uncomfortable close proximity. Does it matter that everyone around you is more uncomfortable for it?

At least with a hand-held phone there was no charade. The very presence of the device in hand, head down, was a clear flag alerting bystanders to the momentary disconnect. “At the moment, I’m not paying attention to you.”

Strident, but I don’t think he’s far off the mark.

★ Thursday, 28 February 2013