Technology is hard on my self-esteem. All this hooplah about making my life easier is making it a lot harder. I have discovered more pet peeves regarding technology than I could ever imagine.
For example, cell phones in public really bug me. Yes, they are convenient and give me more freedom. But freedom from what? I'm convinced that I overhear more conversations between folks I don't know than I ever have on my own phone.
I'm really not interested in who-said-what-to-who-and-what-they-did-and who-they-did-it-with. To me, cell phone conversations are prime demonstrations of the speaker preferring the caller than the real live person who is actually in the room/store/synagogue with them. Checkout clerks describe their frustration with shoppers who maintain a phone conversation before, during, and after completing a transaction. Drive thru restaurants rarely have firsthand conversations with those at the drive up windows.
I've witnessed young girls at the mall, walking 4 abreast, each one attached to a phone speaking to someone else! If it wasn't so frustrating I'd have laughed.
Did you ever think you'd see a note in the church bulletin asking you to turn off your cell phone? Or the library? Or a funeral home? Counseling sessions are often interrupted by the little singing menace. To be fair, my phone has squawked a time or two...
Texting isn't much better. I admit to a preference for texting since it can be read at my convenience. It can be a more concise way to share information: "Call Mom. Choking. SOS."
However, flying thumbs and downcast eyes don't make for good communication.
The picture/video function on many phones can be amazing, but it can also cause great pain as uncool, unflattering behavior or photos are sent across the world by spiteful ex-friends and soon-to-be-ex-spouses.
In fact, I'm finding that many relationships are being threatened by this little rectangular object that was meant to be so helpful. Hurting wives/husbands say their spouse is having an affair with their I Phone (is there an 'ap' for that?). Husbands are learning of their wive's marital dissatisfaction on Facebook. Important possessions are listed on the 'Free' section on Craigslist (seriously-a guy discovered his wife was unfaithful so he gave away all her stuff...everything).
Counselors and pastors now need training in the issues that surround technological infidelity, and I'm not referring to online pornography. I'm talking about the distraction of the little screen. Users respond to pleas for conversation with, "Huh?" Parents ask me how to get Junior to keep his texting minutes within reason. With each solution comes more questions.
Just out of curiousity, I collected all the technological data I check every day. What I found alarmed me, especially since I'm the least techno savvy person I know:
Work voice mail (press 1 to listen, 9 to erase)
Cell phone voice mail (press code then 7 to erase)
Work calendar site ( access code, day being checked, pop up for more information)
Email (keep as new, forward,save, or delete),
Gmail (website, access code, save, or delete),
MySpace (phasing out but not completely),
Google (blog and/or comment code),
Twitter (subscriptions or saved searches),
my own website
Scctnet.com
2 insurance companies, each with difference access codes and passwords,
Facebook.
Craigslist
My point is, when is enough enough? I fear that we will run out of 'bars' one day, look up, and find ourselves in a lonely room and wonder where everyone who mattered to us went.
I don't want to convey to people that technology is more important than they are.
Do you?
No comments:
Post a Comment