can anyone explain what this quote mean?
We lose sight of the fact that our digital tools are modeling reality, not substituting for it, and mistake its over-simplified contours for the way things should be. By acknowledging the bias of the digital towards a reduction of complexity, we regain the ability to treat its simulations as models occurring in a vacuum rather than accurate depictions of our world
Being that digital tools refer to games and computer things, that is not the real world, but many people who play those games believe they are real. In fact some people have died at the computer because they will not give up. Games make the real world seem so simple, when in reality it is quite complex.
Sra
This quote is stating that sometimes we forget that the digital tools we use, such as computer programs and simulations, are not perfect substitutes for reality. Instead, they are just models or representations of reality. We often make the mistake of thinking that these digital tools accurately depict the complexity of the real world when, in fact, they tend to simplify or reduce the complexity.
To understand the meaning of this quote, we need to break it down:
1. "We lose sight of the fact that our digital tools are modeling reality, not substituting for it": This means that we often forget or overlook the fact that digital tools are not a complete replacement for reality. They are only attempting to represent and mimic reality to some extent.
2. "Mistake its over-simplified contours for the way things should be": This implies that we often make the mistake of believing that the simplified representations provided by digital tools are the accurate or ideal way that things should be. We may forget that reality is much more complex and nuanced.
3. "By acknowledging the bias of the digital towards a reduction of complexity": This means that digital tools naturally tend to simplify or reduce the complexity of reality. They cannot capture all the intricate details and nuances of the real world.
4. "We regain the ability to treat its simulations as models occurring in a vacuum rather than accurate depictions of our world": By recognizing the limitations of digital tools, we can approach their simulations as just models or representations occurring in isolation, rather than accepting them as accurate portrayals of the real world. This allows us to maintain a critical perspective and not blindly rely on these digital representations.
In summary, this quote highlights the need to be aware of the limitations and biases of digital tools. It reminds us not to mistake their simplified representations for the actual complexity of the real world and to treat them as models or simulations occurring in isolation.