image from: sarahhalliwell.blogspot.com
Have you ever walked down the street and felt like everyone you saw was in their own little bubble? With earbuds in, staring down at their phone, everyone seemed to be trying to ignore the world? What if people could be physically separated from those around them?
Imagine a literal personal bubble. Think of it as a way of taking your home with you as you go out. It could keep you insulated from outside weather. This bubble could be air conditioned or heated, and could certainly be water proof. The bubble could also be equipped with the many functions of today’s mobile devices: it could play music, watch Netflix, play games, and search the web. What if this bubble drove itself? If it had GPS technology and was able to sense the things around it, the bubble could be a vehicle for traveling down sidewalks and other places where cars aren’t permitted. You could drive downtown, park your car, get in your bubble, and float to your final destination. On the way there, you’d have access to movies, television, books, and other media to occupy your attention.
If this bubble drove itself and had unlimited entertainment technology, would there be a window? Would the people using the bubble see the outside world? Would they want to? When people watch movies and television, they want to be absorbed into the story, and forget about the outside world. In that sense, a bubble with a window would be like a movie theater with a window. As a result, the bubble would be an isolated container in order to allow its users to become engrossed in the media presented to them.
Any tech company involved with entertainment would be interested in this technology, as it allows people to experience media in new settings. Today, you can’t walk down the street reading or watching television. As you stare down, you would likely run into objects or other people. This already often happens with texting, which does not require the user to be watching the screen as actively as other forms of entertainment. The solution is to then have a more comprehensive device that will take you to your destination, allowing you to be entertained during your journey.
Like every new technology, this bubble has social implications beyond what its creators intended. Being in the bubble, you are safely unaware of the world around you. The bubble creates a secluded space in a public setting. Today, it is only possible to try and ignore the world as you walk down the street. While you may be distracted by your devices, you are still aware of the people and space around you. However, inside of the bubble, you are removed from the world.
One possible advantage of the bubble is that it could protect the user from street harassment. The bubbles would make you anonymous as you walked down the street. As a result of not seeing knowing what you look like, no one will be approaching you. This may make some people feel safer as they go out in public. Anonymity in public could also provide protection for women in countries where it is unsafe for them to go out alone. However, the bubble does not solve the greater problem of mistreatment of women throughout the world.
The bubble could have great potential for another group of people. If this bubble could remove the need to walk, it could make the world more accessible to people with physical impairments or disabilities. No longer would these people have to worry about the pain and inconvenience of foot travel. Now, they can get in their bubbles and be carried to their destination. Using the bubbles as a means of transportation, people with disabilities could travel more freely. Imagine if you were blind, and you could get in your bubble and trust it would safely take you to your destination?
A potential problem is that this bubble could become a barrier between different classes. Especially if those who can afford the bubble feel they need it for “protection” from the people on the street, this could reinforce negative stereotypes about cities. Because those in the bubble are unaware of the world around them, they would never see any evidence that could disprove their preconceptions. The people in the bubble would become reliant on the media to inform them about their surroundings, instead of stepping outside of the bubble and drawing their own conclusions.
The bubble could also affect the way people interact. How would life be different if every time you went outside, you felt you needed the comfort of your bubble to transport you to your destination? Would people no longer walk with each other? The bubble presents another method of entertainment that removes the user from those around them.