You’ve probably already encountered this or thought about it, but just didn’t know the word to describe it. Solutionism is the “belief that every problem has a solution based in technology” or “providing a solution/s to a customer (sometimes before a problem has been identified”. Need to wake up at 6am? Grab your smartphone and set the alarm. Need to pay for a coffee using your reuse-able coffee cup? Grab the ‘tap and go’ Frank coffee cup! Innovative or just plain wasteful?
As technology grows at a rapid rate, first world countries find more things to create solutions to, in hopes to provide a stress-free life. Whilst we are living a more luxurious life, the other 50% are fighting for clean consumable water. Needless to say, innovations like these are hard to ignore as they drill in the idea that there is a missing element to your perfect life.
Solutionism ties in very well in with artificial intelligence. Although the Frank coffee cup does not require any element of it, it stresses us to think about how far in technology we will go, and when we will stop. Of course, it is important to move forward and avoid being stagnant- to welcome new innovations and equal opportunity to everyone. But when we welcome products that convenient our lives by not pulling your credit card out to pay for your coffee, I believe there would be a problem that questions resourcefulness.
We as a society want to be environmentally friendly yet technologically advanced and it questions my understanding of where technology will take us.
What are your thoughts on new innovations? Where do we as a society need to draw the line and where should we invest in terms of technology?
Fifi's blog 
What I find interesting about this topic is how many ways to pay for things has been created. Our phones, watches, rings and even drink bottles can all be used to make a payment.
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