Niel's & Floraine's post- Amandeep

As Neil mentioned, I also think Floraine’s blog entries have been very insightful, and have helped me understand mobility from another perspective. She mentioned the transfer from the physical world to a more digital world which I think is the way we’re heading. Here’s a great video I found on one of the other blogs about gaming that shows human design development:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZM4_2cuZwA

Niel also picked up on a lot of good points, as well as how banks are trying to reduce staff to so that more can be done online. This got me thinking- What will happen to the more physical jobs, will they be replaced by more virtual/ computer jobs?

When I think of a physical job , the bus comes to mind, as it’s a very old fashioned way of travel which may in the future be replaced. We as a society are striving towards a more efficient, faster and cheaper transport; if you look at canals they are not used as a method of transport anymore, but more of a social place.

The poster shows how the council are advertising the canal, as a place to socialise, look how much it’s changed from its original purpose.

This may mean that our transport systems we know of today (i.e. buses, trains), may become obsolete and replaced with newer technology that is more efficient. Does this mean that jobs linked to physical travel will reduce (e.g. Buses becoming obsolete and replaced with newer technology)? But then does this mean we may have an increase in virtual jobs (e.g. computing, programming etc.)? I believe the end of this digital revolution is limitless...

How social/ physical/ virtual link together- Amandeep

Hey- everyone! Humera I love the tram stop! It creates a sense of social space within a small area, increasing the people flow; even the stations create the idea of motion. Not sure if I like the bike, looks a bit too retro to me, and can't see anyone using it in the future!

Referring back to my last post about how modernisation maybe linked to mobility; I have interpreted Marx’s view as time being an indicator of how we have grown as a society and how the world has become more accessible and mobile- The idea of the word ‘Modern’ has never been interpreted the same.

I thought the best way to understand this was by looking at my own life; the above diagram is my representation of how mobility has affected/ changed over my lifetime. I have highlighted key points in my life (through a time line), that have increased my mobility within society.

The basic points I can pick out from it are that the virtual and physical aspects of mobility act as supports to the social factor. They all work simultaneously, and I wouldn’t be able to function properly if one was removed. As I have become older and more socially active, my virtual and physical mobility are automatically increased. I can also see that my virtual mobility is more active than my physical mobility, as I am more likely to contact someone via email/ phone rather than visit them in person.

I notice that education is a key backbone from where many of my social connections derive, as we do spend a lot of our youth studying. I can also see my virtual connections are mainly to local friends and friends.

While travelling, I can see a mixed set of emotions, especially when travelling to a new place, or a rarely used transport. It is here, in these transient places, where De Botton says we best encounter our true selves. It is these places where we feel that we can isolate ourselves into a place of comfort.

Maybe in the future surrounding will change according to our movement, or lack of it. Maybe our physical mobility will be replaced by more virtual movement as it is easier, faster and cheaper? Maybe our physical transport will get faster, more types of transport, but will we travel less often? Will there be any need to go to work, will we be working from home?