Our blended reality– or gathering my thoughts into something useful.

ICT has created our blended reality. It’s the sort of environment I dreamt of after watching the original Ghost in the Shell: we now have no clear line between digital and analog.

In the case of deep fakes, it’s all fun and games now. Imagine it though, when media is controlled by a select few, deep fakes are easy solutions for planting false evidence.

Our blended reality may also protect us from the next pandemic, creative applications of ICT through mobile phones, internet, television and even radio havepaved the way for the low touch economy. As the human need for connection will always remain, ICT creates possibilities for salient circulation of data even while lockdowns are in place. However, clearly displayed by the state of online classes in the Philippines, we’re already in 2020 yet there are citizens still without access to information and communications platforms.

ICT partnered with creativity and design thinking can be used as a strategy for solutions engineering – In our blended reality, the potential for innovations in education are endless. This means that for as long as students are equipped with the right connectivity infrastructure, they can access quality education from the safety of their homes. 

Again, design thinking methods must then be revisited and applied to account for the rise of work from home setups, and home classrooms. A simple application of color theory can either enhance concentration or create appetite for more ube pandesal. 

Colors are a simple enough step towards mental health. According to O’Brien, a blue colored working space is ideal for someone who must focus, concentrate or study, especially on numbers, green is an effective choice for management type of work environment as it has a balancing and steadying effect, yellow is suitable for sales and fast food settings, however warm colors like yellow and orange are also known to increase appetite for food.

Other than color, design thinking should be considered in our work and study spaces, the height of our desks, and ergonomics of our chairs. ICT brings the world together. However, when coupled with creative solutions, it can also ensure that we live sustainable, healthy, inclusive, and comfortable lives.

1. ^{O’Brien S. Color Theory [Internet]. 2007 [cited 2020 June 10). Available from: http://www.colourtheory.net/articles/colour_psychology.htm}
2. ^{List of emerging technologies [Internet].  Wikipedia. 2020 [cited 2020 June 10]. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_emerging_technologies}
3. ^{The Future of ICT: Blended Life [Internet]. ERCIM News. 2014 [cited 2020 July 03]. Available from: https://ercim-news.ercim.eu/en99/keynote/the-future-of-ict-blended-life}