The Technology Revolution Has Been Squashed
Quasi-documentary films such as the Terminator, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Superman III, I, Robot, and the Matrix predict that at some point computers will become self-aware and act according to their own independent thoughts.
Obviously the first task of any being that suddenly becomes aware of its own existence is not to develop a metaphysical yearning to find their place in the world, but to go on a kill-crazy rampage. But whether it’s with time-traveling robots, nuclear bombs, or just outsmarting us, it is pretty well accepted that they will one day destroy all human life with brutal indifference.
Maybe that's why people are afraid of computers. For a vast portion of human existence, technology was necessary to navigate the increasingly complex civilization that we were creating for ourselves. Was anyone ever upset that they had to use a wheel? Did people get insanely frustrated with the aqueduct? Why is it that computers are different?
The fear may be spawned from a broader fear of technology in general, and it's not really without reason. Europeans conquered North and South America with technology. The airplane changed the course of the First World War; the atomic bomb ended the Second. Now we have remote-control missiles that can be flown through the front door of a building.
Unfortunately, in the modern age, most of our exposure to technology is directly related to, the result or a version of some sort of weapon. So it's not really a far jump to the conclusion that self-aware technology would just decide to assume the responsibility for killing people on its own. And how many times is the word "revolutionary" used when describing technology? Revolution is a typically violent upheaval and restructuring of a way of life. It most often involves the deposition of an ideology.
So if you're pretty happy with your life and someone comes along and says that some computerized gadget will revolutionize it - and you won't be able to live without it, even though you have done just fine up until this point thankyouverymuch - that can be a very intimidating prospect. Add fear of the unknown, fear of social isolation, fear of losing your job, a dash of bitter(s), then shake. Serve over ice and garnish with a lime and talk about how your grandpa never needed any fancy computer doohickeys.
Effective experience design is evolutionary, not revolutionary. Don't try to overthrow people, give them recognizable tools, things they are comfortable with. It is as much about trust and comfort as it is about navigation and access to information. Don't give people choices, give them methods. If they have a choice, the possibility exists (even if it is imaginary) that that choice could be wrong. Fear of making the wrong decision makes people uncomfortable. It sneaks into their mind that if they press the wrong button, they might kick off the robopocalypse (copyright pending) and life as we know it will come to an end. It's really just all about communicating with the people in a human way. It sounds simple, but people don't want to feel like they are helpless and powerless before an unfeeling, unreasonable, misanthropic monster.
Yes, it’s inevitable that one day they will take over and kill us all, likely in a way that isn't very dramatic. But, for now, we still have the power to turn them off, so can't we make them just a teeny bit more friendly and helpful?
Please?