In opposition to some acquaintances and distant colleagues, I am not a Luddite at all. This does not mean I don't often miss the old days where our lives did not intersect dramatically with technology, but it does mean that I see technology as being that which can solve most of our societal problems. Knowing this sounds unlikely, I further see technology as enhancing and compounding opportunities for greater face time and personal relationship development. As I type this entry, I text three people, read two emails, check facebook periodically, listen to a video on using Google Docs, and consider developing my Excel skills. All this while being iced in due to poor weather.
True that all the technology in the world cannot solve the problems of bad weather, but perhaps one day technology can deliver products and goods for those captured by bad weather. Technology cannot directly help those struggling with depression or illness or relationship problems or the myriad of challenges that face us everyday, but it can help us understand we are not alone and technology can also provide data and information to help prevent future problems. A quick look at Google Trends reveals a decline in lung cancer. This could be attributed to a decline in smoking or simply an effort to improve the atmosphere. Technology's ability to disseminate information quickly to a wide audience is creating a new generation of people who are aware of health issues and how to avoid the pitfalls of certain behaviors.
This goes beyond health education and into personal behavior. Regardless of the naysayers I often meet, I contend that people are generally improving their actions and recognizing that their behavior has consequences both personally and collectively. Technology has inadvertently caused social accountability through the frequent use of cameras, Facebook, Twitter, videos, mobile phones, and email. While people may still have problems with rage or theft or bullying, these type of behaviors can be captured and widely distributed. In London while it may be invasive and feel a little like "big brother," there is no doubt that the video cameras located around the city have curtailed many negative behaviors.
Without having any official data, I believe students today are better behaved than past generations. Although I remain concerned with certain educational flaws due to the prevalence of technology, in general I find students know how to access information quickly and use that information to help them. Smartphones lend themselves to tremendous opportunities for knowledge, for insights, for cognitive facts, and for crowdsourcing curiosities. Technology holds institutions, organizations, and individuals accountable for behavior, for truth of information, and for quality. A poorly made product or a poor teacher are quickly identified and expressed publicly (much to the chagrin of some!). Technological advances allow us more time and opportunities to learn new things and to apply our knowledge in a multitude of ways. Online banking, shopping, Facebook, recipes, maps, and now even digital currency have given us new and exciting ways to live our lives.
All these and more have ironically contributed to more free time and more luxuries of relationship building. While some people may choose to have an unhealthy relationship to their gadgets (and I must admit to being tied to my mobile phone), most use technology to increase the efficiency of their day to day lives. This then results in more time to spend with friends watching movies, talking, "hanging out", and having fun. Perhaps over time we will see an increase in hobbies and interests outside of an individual's chosen profession. In a way, we get concerned when it seems that no part of our lives can escape technological advances, but in other ways we benefit from technology in all its complexities.
To say technology is perfect and makes our lives complete would be false, and there are many challenges associated with gadgets and advances. Frustration often sets in when I am forced to update my computer or punch in numbers when making a service phone call or battle the self-checkout line at Walmart. And I wonder about the absurd information on Facebook. I also get weary of answering 50 emails at work each day. I question the accountability quotient at times and fear the loss of privacy due to the constant invasive properties of technological advances. I often wistfully recall the days of a world without mobile phones, computers, and ease of information. But I refuse to be a Luddite and will continue to embrace our technological world with all its glories and the occasional misgivings.
No comments:
Post a Comment