Election Fatigue Smart Button

Hmmm, can A.I. technology offer a solution to election fatigue?

I will be so very relieved when Monday arrives and the federal election is over. I was already suffering from election fatigue after the Ontario provincial election a couple of months back and the pre-election ads by the federal political parties in anticipation of the federal election.

I have now officially hit the wall with all the federal election television advertising and the unrelenting reporting on the TV news of the latest polls and the latest promises by the party leaders. I voted in the advance polls. My decision was made. I really want all the election noise and clamour to stop.

FYI: There is an actual concept known as voter fatigue which arises when citizens are asked to vote frequently. Voter fatigue is attributed to a psychological phenomenon known as decision fatigue. Our brain becomes mentally fatigued after making numerous decisions and attempts to make shortcuts to decrease the workload.

Voter fatigue can result in low voter turnout which is an increasing problem in this day and age. It was evident in the Ontario provincial election. The threat posed by U.S. President Donald Trump may counteract that trend to some degree in the federal election. But it is a problem that will not go away.

I would like to suggest a mechanism to combat election / voter fatigue. It may seem farfetched when you hear what I am suggesting. But with all the advances in A.I. technology, it really should be feasible.

My suggestion is the creation of an Election / Voter Fatigue button that all citizens can access on any of their smart devices including Smart TVs. When all the election noise becomes too much to take, you simply tap the Election / Voter Fatigue button. The button would automatically set in motion an A.I. program that would block all:

Election-related telephone calls or polls.Election-rated news in social media news feeds or internet browser feature stories.Election-rated news reports on radio and televisions news or radio talk shows.

The empty air space left by the blocking of all the election content would be filled by the individual’s choice of: a) cute cat or dog videos b) peaceful nature scenes of peopleless woodlands or meadows or beaches c) green noise – a variant of white noise that is perceived as similar to ocean waves or a stream.

It really should not be all that difficult to make this concept a reality. With all the applications of A.I. technology already in place, this should be relatively simple to accomplish.

So all you tech experts out there: Stop working on Version 5.3.8 of that software program or app and turn your talents to this much needed A.I. application. I do not mean next month or next week. Start working today! The need is urgent!

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~ Michael Robert Dyet is also the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel (now out of print) which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

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