The Last Checkout
In the long corridors of the mall, music from the early 2000s echo off the walls in the absence of bustling crowds. This space, once a hub of social gathering and consumerist excitement, transformed into something else entirely. A monument to a former era where technology promised to bring us closer, yet left us further apart.
These empty consumerist gathering spaces are a result of the dramatic evolution of technology over the last few decades. To further explore this concept, let’s take a look at the 2006 commercial for the Nintendo DS Lite and the 2024 official video for the Apple Vision Pro.
The 2006 commercial for the Nintendo DS Lite emphasizes community and shared in-person experiences, showcasing technology as a bridge between people. It reflects a time where devices seemed to encourage human connection within communal spaces, like malls and parks. However, you can start to see a strange division between people. They are physically standing together, though mentally engaged apart.
Fast forward to 2024, and the presentation of the Apple Vision Pro tells a more developed story. This device focuses on individual experiences. There is a shift towards isolated engagement within digital worlds, where the emphasis is on personal customization, virtual reality, and augmented experiences. The focus is on enhancing individual experiences rather than fostering collective ones, placing the user in a bubble.
Nintendo DS Lite Commercial (2006)
Apple Vision Pro Official Video (2024)
The empty mall stands as a silent witness to the changing dynamics of how we gather, interact, and consume. Due to the rapid development of technology, we’ve societally transitioned from the celebration of shared experiences to the prioritization of individual escapism. We collectively choose to live through a fragmented and isolated existence, within screens and virtual interfaces.
We will continue to see this evolution in the future of social interaction and communal spaces. As technology continues to advance into more immersive and personalized experiences, so do the consequences on our collective social life. I do not feel optimistic that we can stop it, but I do believe that we will learn to adapt and change.
“The Virtual Plaza welcomes you, and you will welcome it too.”
Jacob Chapman: Fashion Design, Assistant Photography
Beau Miranda: Direction, Photography, Writing