VP of Creative Paul Pugh moderated the panel "Is This Progress? More Meaning in Our Digital Life" at SXSW Interactive 2013. IT advances have created a mass transformation comparable to the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution. As we use digital tools to create new connections and experiences, what is the impact on our analog realities? Consider: 1. The collective memory of our online activities far exceeds our human capacity to remember; we struggle with information overload and privacy concerns instead of treasuring our digital legacy. 2. News is omnipresent yet more compartmentalized than ever, as we invent siloes to absorb the deluge of information. We traded newspapers for online news feeds, but are we better informed, or more myopic? 3. Both human relationships and physical artifacts are decamping for the cloud. Is a Facebook friend truly nurturing? Is digital music as interesting as a hard-earned vinyl collection?

1. SXSW
IS THIS
PROGRESS?

2. MEANING

3. ?

4. Where do we stand on this notion of
“meaning”?

5. Are things better, worse and/or just
different?

6. What can we do to make the digital
realm more “meaningful”?

7. News,
Social +
Moderator Media Politics +
Location
Culture

8. Two Trends to Frame the
Discussion

9. UX is Everywhere

16. Miniaturization + Virtualization
Music Documents
Apps
Videos
Friends
Communication
Books

17. THAT
SOUNDS
COMFORTING