A minimalist's view
I am undeniably a software fanboy. I work in the industry, I
have aspirations to
entrepreneurship, and software is my
favorite hobby. I like helping people learn how to create and manipulate
software. Creating something, something powerful and lasting, where
nothing was before and using nothing but your own wits is and will
remain one of the most rewarding and challenging aspects of my life.
Recently though, I've come to realize that there is a deeper promise of
software, one that offers a compound benefit to all of us. Software
serves to staunch slightly the wound that threatens all of our
well-being and the well-being of the planet on which we live: rampant
consumerism.
[Sidebar: I say staunch and not repair because software doesn't really solve
anything at a fundamental level. To escape from the 'more is better'
cycle, we need to shift our perceptions about what makes us happy and
what is really valuable, and this will require participation from all
levels. Ourselves as individuals, our friends and family, our media and
our ostensibly "society", up to the level of policymakers and
economists, everyone will need to rethink priorities for a cure instead
of a stopgap.]
What do I mean? Here are a couple of examples:
becomes
becomes
becomes
...and numerous other examples. Somehow, under the guise of lower
prices, software and the Internet have convinced millions of people to get rid of vast
swaths of their things, reducing manufacturing output, waste, and
footprint in one fell swoop!
Space
"So I threw out all my old Backstreet Boys CDs when I got my iPod, so
what?" It's true, it may seem like a somewhat trivial example. However,
aside from the ongoing benefit (you haven't bought many CDs since then
either, have you?) this reduction, and any reduction in the literal
footprint of the things we purchase may translate into a reduction in
the space we feel we need to live. Smaller apartments and smaller
houses in turn translate into a reduced environmental impact, as energy
requirements and sprawl are reduced.
Furthermore, though the death of the local shop at the hands of the
Internet is generally considered to be a bad thing, one happy side effect
is that fewer shops are being built. Less development means less sprawl,
less construction waste, and less energy to keep those buildings lit and
heated. Though it's hard to say for sure, odds are favorable for a
net-positive reduction in energy overall moving from brick-and-mortar
shops to online venues.
Waste and pollution
Like the movement away from brick-and-mortar shops, the slow death of
the mail has been lamented by many. Ignoring the socioeconomic benefits
of mail delivered everywhere, it is hard to argue that the amount of
waste paper generated versus email was a good thing. Similarly, the
environmental costs of moving mail from place to place won't be missed.
More generally, software has allowed us to eliminate many forms of
waste and pollution, both obvious and subtle. A giant pile of discarded
junk mail is one thing, but we're also getting rid of the over-packaged media goods we
purchase. Though we're really just touching the tip of the iceburg thus
far, telecommuting is cutting down on emissions from our vehicles
getting us from home to work and back everyday. Built-to-be-consumed
items like calendars are not only cheaper but better when they are
digital.
Attitude
As mentioned above, a reduction in space and waste isn't solving the
problem of consumerism. To really address the issue, we need a change in
attitudes. Though I don't have any proof for this, I personally think
that eliminating our common "collections" - DVDs, CDs, books, and the
like - we are retraining ourselves to stop collecting. The mentality
that a bigger collection (of anything) is better, that more is better,
is the root of the problem of consumerism, and a source of much pain and
frustration, not to mention waste and pollution.
I also think this elimination of visibility will continue. Smart phones
and their capability for software have let us consolidate our telephone,
Gameboy, iPod, GPS, camera, and alarm clock, and are working on our Kindle and
television. The removal of brick-and-mortar stores will cut down on
window shopping and impulse purchases. [How we will fare versus truly
targeted advertising and marketing that follows us everywhere is another
story, and perhaps a worse one in the end.]
Perhaps our collections just shift. Instead of DVDs, we collect apps;
instead of electronics we collect followers. If that's the case, then
we'll just be trading one kind of consumerism for another. Ultimately
it's better for the environment either way. I hope, though, that
software will deliver on its promise of a simpler life less encumbered
by the burden of a desire for more at any cost.
35 By 35: My plan to be awesome in 5 years or less