I Like Technology. I’m conceding all of the exact and fun things that the laptop-based era has delivered into our lives; I’ll not fight that battle. Not handiest might I lose any argument against the notable additions technology has made to our lives, I might be combating towards myself. I love it that I can flip open a Star Trek “communicator” and communicate to almost all of us, anytime.
I love the very idea of getting a verbal exchange tool out in my lower back backyard, close to the chook feeder; this is communicating with a satellite in low earth orbit. Wow! And do I ever love my laptop-oops, computer systems? As in many computer systems. In reality, my job is strongly tied to generation, and I love to get paid. However, this article is a warning, a plea to open our eyes wider than our huge display TVs, to step back out of cellular cellphone variety, to position down our PDAs for a minute, and look at what has gotten a preserve on us.
Technology is Seductive
Technology can draw us in and motivate us to lose attitude about what is going on. Just strive to speak to me on your infant (or maybe your spouse or fine friend) the subsequent time some slick TV program or commercial is shimmering across the screen, and you may see what has all in their interest. Technology attracts us. But if we’re drawn in, we are also leaving something at the back of. We will be forsaking loving or growing relationships or the quiet time necessary to suppose purposefully about our lives, where we’re going, and how we want to stay 5 years from now. To preserve this concept, that era is seductive; let’s examine the natural progression of the way we reply to a new era.
Technology as a Toy
All new era comes to us in the guise of a toy, thus its preliminary seductive pull on us. No rely on the age; the brand new era looks like a toy. It is clean, quiet, and flashes little lights. It makes cute sounds, and we reply to it from the childlike (or childish) middle of our being. It isn’t the state-of-the-art 35 yr vintage enterprise executive responding to the new all-reason, incredibly-developed era component; it is alternatively the seven 12 months vintage infant inner this is gushing and filled with Christmas morning lust. We may not even have any manner to apply it, but we play with it. We flip channels, set the volume at the 96 surround sound speakers (yours would not have ninety-six?), take pix of our ft with it, and enthusiastically pursue carpal tunnel troubles as speedy as our thumbs and arms can fly over fun little-colored buttons. It is a toy. But it does circulate evolve into our next category. That makes us experience a little better approximately it and facilitates us to avoid the truth that we just spent 12 months of destiny retirement on a toy.
Technology as a Tool
The toy commonly becomes a tool. In our sturdy desires to justify the toy’s acquisition, we search for things it can do. Ah, it continues my calendar. Cool! Now I won’t maintain the song of my $ 29.00-day planner and worry approximately dropping it. I want to worry about approximately losing my $495 PDA. But it may also take snapshots. That’s vital. It’s also precise that it can erase them because I locate I take a variety of snapshots that can be in reality crap, and now I, not handiest spent the time to take the photographs, I also get to spend time erasing them.
But the toys frequently change into very severe gear. I can also preserve to apply my mobile smartphone toy as I unconsciously blow via pink lighting fixtures and make turns without signaling (need that spare arm for the cell). Still, I also understand this toy is a critical safety tool. I do not need to be broken down at the motorway and not have this link to help. The same 50″ flat display screen wall striking that is a toy is also a device to be aware of threatening climate and critical current activities. And the pocketbook computer that empowers me to look at images of ability Russian brides helps me write this text and venture investment returns. Toys have the capacity to become gear from dogs to operating dogs. But there’s a third and more dangerous degree.
Technology as a Tyrant
Dictionary.Com gives one definition of a tyrant as “a tyrannical or compulsory have an impact on.” Wow! Think cell phone, electronic mail, Skype, compulsive checking of forums, chat rooms, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and all of the different modern-day flavors of Turkish delight referred to an era. These things can be toys (tremendously harmless except for what they are probably replacing); they can be equipment or grow to be tyrants. When deeply ingrained into our paintings or social structure, they alternate from being puppies or work puppies and come to be pit bulls that may bite and clamp down so that it’s far tough to dislodge them. I used it so that you can maintain up with the needs of my activity. Once upon a time, I truly had a little time to price range weekly that changed into “stroll around and get to know every person better” time. No more. Now I am constantly juggling attention amongst appointments, drop-in unannounced visitors, snail mail, cellphone calls with the pink reminders, mobile cell phone calls, and email. I can never get one stuck up without intrusions from all the others. The first 4 have been barely workable; with cell and e-mail brought; I’m no longer on top of things; the pit bull is. So, what happened?
How Did We Get Like This?
Okay. Here is the crux of this newsletter. Technology is a one-of-a-kind evolutionary rate than us humans. It reproduces faster than mice and changes species with each era. We have been enticed, and continue to be enticed, through technology because of its seductive darkish side. It beckons to the seven 12 months old inner and draws us in. As a tool, generation is embraced and embedded into our lives, seemingly as an associate; one called alongside people to assist us.
But, without information on the evolutionary course of the generation, we do not manipulate its region in our lives. It turns into a tyrant that bullies us and pulls us around on its lease rather than the alternative way around. Because of the preliminary seductive nature of technology, we do not easily see that it’s going to generally take us to wherein we don’t need to head and make us pay greater than we first notion we had been willing to pay. So, what could we then do?
