Pros and cons of technology

I know that this may sound a bit disingenuous coming from me, who has been accused of being on my damn cell phone too much. Still, technology is something I think about a lot. It seems like we’ve been going 1,000 miles per hour over the last 30 years or so.

Sometimes I miss the days when you could leave for Columbus or Cincinnati with the knowledge that nobody could contact you until you came back home hours later. Nobody knew where you were or what the heck you were doing. It was magical really. If you wanted to call someone, you actually had to pull over and get inside this tall upright coffin-looking thingy, shut the door, deposit a dime, and then make the call. This was usually preceded by looking up their number in this gigantic object called a phone book. Sometimes I long for a simpler time.

I also remember buying my first answering machine and that little thrill of excitement you’d get when you’d arrive home and see that little light flashing. Woohoo! I’ve got a message! Who could it be? The possibilities were endless, man. I mean, it was usually my Aunt Myrna calling to tell us about that abscess under her big toe or something but still.

I also recall my parents taking the batteries out of the TV remote every evening back in the day. I think they thought it could explode or something so better safe than sorry, right? And to think it was only the beginning.

Before we begin, let’s take a gander at some technology factoids:

*Over 90 percent of all adults have their mobile phone within arms reach of them at all times.

*Out of the population of seven billion people on the entire world, four billion of them have mobile phones.

*The very first personal computer was released in 1950 and sold for $300.00.

*Over a million new domain names are registered every single month.

*Google search engines answer over one billion searches every single day.

*The first computer mouse was invented in 1963 and was made of a wooden shell with two metal wheels. True story.

But without further ado, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of technology as I see them …

PROS

Information

Der. Of course. I read somewhere once that kids have access to more information by the third grade than we did in our entire school careers, so there’s that. I guess that’s good, right? Right?

Sharing of Ideas

At our fingertips we can gain instant access to almost anyone in the world, share ideas and information, the sky’s the limit. As you’ll read below, though, that may not be as great as it sounds.

Social Networking

This one is debatable and can go under either pro or con. Sure, the internet is an easy way to meet people. On the other hand, the internet is an easy way to meet people. You know exactly what I’m talking about.

Convenience When Traveling

Can’t argue with this one. Who remembers trying to read a giant map while driving down a back road somewhere in rural Tennessee? Then trying unsuccessfully to fold the damn thing back up? Yep, GPS does come in handy.

Entertainment

Sure, we can now watch movies or TV shows and other stuff on our phones from anywhere we choose. Hey, I see people gazing at their cell phones while driving every day! And yes, the internet has done wonders for the porn industry. Yay?

Hospitals and Health

I guess you can’t put a price on the many ways technology has helped the health industry. Incalculable really. In fact, this may trump them all. Then again …

CONS

Decline of Social Skills

As a teacher with over 30 years of experience, I have a unique insight into this, and I can tell you without a doubt that there’s a direct correlation between the decline in the social skills of students and the rise of the internet. Sadly, a lot of kids have a real problem simply looking people in the eye these days. Too much texting and messaging and not enough actual physical interaction in my opinion. For years I’ve actually had to stop kids in the hallway and force them to interact with me, even for just a minute. Just fighting the good fight, people.

Unique Thought

Remember when I mentioned sharing ideas as a pro but said it might also be a con? Well, many think the internet poses a threat to the human mind’s creativity and the ability to innovate. It makes sense in that if everyone can communicate directly with each other, and we have no pockets of original thought, creativity could suffer. I mean, since we can all converse immediately with each other will we all end up thinking the same way? Makes sense, right? On a related note, if you read the Unabomber’s Manifesto, he basically says the same thing. He made a lot of sense right up to the, you know, part where he started blowing people up and stuff. Honestly, though, you should read it. It’s actually very interesting.

Art

What kid draws or paints anymore? The answer is not nearly as many as when I was a kid, and that’s the truth. Why create a birthday card for mom when you can print one off the computer? See? We’re back to the death of creativity again. Damn it technology!

Instant Gratification

Because everything today is at our fingertips, we now want instant gratification in every walk of life. Nobody wants to earn anything anymore, ya know? We want it and we want it now. I blame technology. It’s softened us up, man.

Honorable Mention in the “con” department:

Penmanship

Long story short, it’s gone to hell. Don’t believe me? Look up the way people wrote in the 1800’s and compare it to today. Seriously, Google Image it. It’s depressing.

Exercise

Take a look out your window. Do it right now. See any kids out there playing? Didn’t think so. Hey, you know how I used to tell where all the fun was taking place? I’d look for the bicycles scattered across a yard in my neighborhood. Sadly, the days of neighborhood kids playing together outside are largely gone, folks. They’re all looking at their phones or laptops.

Privacy

Here’s just one example. You ever notice how after you “like” a post on Facebook about, oh, let’s say macaroni, you suddenly begin getting ads for macaroni all up in your grill mix? It’s frightening, really.

And hey, I haven’t even mentioned the loss of jobs that technology has created or the scary possibilities that Artificial Intelligence presents to the world. But hey, maybe I’m just an old dude overthinking things, In the 60s, my father thought Rock and Roll was going to destroy our country, yet somehow we persevered.

So what do you think? Am I being a fuddy-duddy to believe that the negatives outweigh the positives where technology is concerned? Listen, don’t get me wrong, I know there’s no going back, only forward. But I can still long for that simpler time, can’t I?

Dave Shoemaker is a retired teacher, athletic director and basketball coach with most of his professional years spent at Paint Valley. He also served as the national basketball coach for the island country of Montserrat in the British West Indies. He lives in Southern Ohio with his best friends and companions, his dogs Sweet Lilly and Hank. He can be reached at https://shoeuntied.wordpress.com/.