The phrase disruptive technology comes from
Clayton Christensen and refers to a technology that “the process by which a
product of service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of
a market and then relentlessly moves ‘up market’, eventuall displacing
established competitors” (Christensen, 2009). The technology that is new
usually is more efficient, cheaper, and offers some market advantage for users
to purchase it in place of the technology it is replacing (Laureate, 2009). The
impact on disruptive technologies can be very dramatic. A technology that is
currently being disruptive to everyday life is Second Life, or 3D virtual worlds.
Second Life is created and made up of
everyday people that use avatars to interact with each other. The reason it is
disruptive is that in some cases it actually can be used to replace face to
face social interaction. In some cased people choose to forego the real world
in favor of the virtual world. This technology has been featured on National
Geographic and depicted a man who had a whole virtual family with a wife and children.
The real world family knew about the virtual one and were somewhat excepting of
this.
Second Life has been around since 2003 and
I do not see it being obsolete for some time. I actually do not see it as fully
emerged because it is something I have only seen on TV or in the news. I
personally do not know anyone using it. Some benefits and implications are that
it may one day replace traditional learning institutions. One popular location
in Second Life is the International Spaceport that allows users to view
exhibits from anywhere online. There are even classes at Harvard being taught
in Second Life completely (National Geographic, 2013). One day all my student
may meet in a virtual setting and not in a local classroom or building.
Carmody, L. E. (2009). [Review of the book Disrupting class: How disruptive innovation will change the
way the world learns, by C. M. Christensen, M. B. Horn, & C. W. Johnson]. Educational Technology Research and Development, 57(2), 267−269.
Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database.
Laureate Education, Inc.
(2009). Disruptive Technologies. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Rosedale, P. (2008). Philip Rosedale on Second Life [Video]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/the_inspiration_of_second_life.html.
"Second Life," Other Virtual Worlds Reshaping
Human Interaction. (n.d.). Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines |
National Geographic News . Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/10/061017-second-life.html
