Beware the Seductive Power of Technology

 



I Like
Technological innovation. I'm conceding all the excellent and fun stuff that computer-based technologies have introduced into our lives; I'll not battle the field. Not only would I reduce any discussion against the great improvements technologies are making to our way of life, I would be battling myself. I like it that I can turn start a Celebrity Travel "communicator" and discuss to almost anyone, at any time. I really like the very understanding of having a interaction system out in my garden, near the birdfeeder, that is interacting with a satellite tv in low world orbit. Wow! And do I ever really like my computer-oops, computer systems. As in many computer systems. In reality, my job is extremely linked to technology and I really like to get compensated. However, this post is advice, a request to start our sight broader than our big display TVs, to take a phase returning out of mobile  phone variety, to put down our PDAs for one moment and look at what has gotten a keep on us.

Technology is Seductive
Technology has the ability to attract us in and cause us to reduce viewpoint about what is being conducted. Just try discussing to your kids (or maybe your spouse or best friend) the next occasion some sleek TV system or professional is gleaming across the display and you'll see what has all of their interest. Technological innovation attracts us in. But if we're attracted in, we're also making something behind. We could be walking away from adoring or creating connections or the peace and silent necessary to think intentionally about our way of life, where we are going and how we want to stay five decades from now. To keep this concept, that technologies are alluring, let's look at the organic development of how we react to new technology.
Technology as a Toy
All new technology comes to us in the guise of a toy, thus its preliminary alluring take on us. Whatever age, the new technology seems like a toy. It is sleek, fairly and quick flashes little lighting. It creates lovely appears to be and we react to it from the childlike (or childish) middle of our being. It is not the innovative 35 year-old business professional that is replying to the new all-purpose, highly-evolved technology thing, it is instead the seven year-old kid within that is gushing and loaded with Xmas morning hours lust. We might not even have any way to use it yet, but we have fun with it. We convert programs, set the degree on the 96 encompass audio system (yours does not have 96?), take images of our feet with it, and happily engage in carpel canal issues as fast as our thumbs and fingertips can fly over fun little shaded control buttons. It is a toy. But it does shift develop into our next classification and that creates us experience a little better about it helping us prevent the reality that we just invested a season of upcoming pension on a toy.
Technology as a Tool
The toy usually becomes something. In our powerful wants to rationalize the buy of the toy, we look for factors it can do. Ah, it keeps my schedule. Cool! Now I won't have to keep a record of my $29.00 day adviser and fear about dropping it. I just need to be concerned about dropping my $495 PDA. But it can also take images. That's essential. It's also excellent that it can remove them because I find I take a lot of images that are really junk and now I not only stayed getting the images, I also get to invest a while eliminating them. But the toys and games often become very serious resources. I may keep use my mobile mobile phone toy as I instinctively strike through red lighting and create changes without signaling (need that extra arm for the cell), but I also recognize this toy is a serious protection system. I don't want to be damaged down on the road and not have this connect to help. The same 50" smooth panel walls clinging that is a toy is also something to keep yourself informed of harmful climate and essential present activities. And the laptop that encourages me to look at images of prospective European wedding brides allows me create this post and venture financial commitment profits. Toys have the possibility of becoming resources. From pets to operating pets. But there is a third and more risky stage.
Technology as a Tyrant
Dictionary.com provides one goal of a tyrant as, "a tyrannical or necessary impact." Wow! Think mobile phone, e-mail, Skype, obsessive verifying of boards, forums, YouTube, Facebook or myspace, Tweets, and all the other present tastes of Turkish pleasure known as technology. These matters can be toys and games (relatively safe except for what they might be replacing), they can be resources, or they can become tyrants. When greatly engrained into our perform or public framework, they consist of being pets or perform pets and become pit bulls that can chew and secure down so that it is very challenging to disengage them. I used to be able to keep up with the requirements of my job. Years back I actually had a short amount of your energy that I could price variety every week that was "walk around and get to know everyone better" time. No more. Now I am regularly balancing interest among sessions, drop-in surprise guests, send, telephone phone calls with the light red pointers, telephone phone calls, and e-mail. I can never get one trapped without uses from all of the others. The first four were hardly controllable, with mobile and e-mail included, I'm no more time in charge, the dog is. So, what happened?
How Did We Get Like This?
Okay. Here is the core of this post. Technological innovation is on a different transformative amount than us people. It reproduces quicker than rats and changes varieties with each creation. We were lured, and remain lured, by technology due to its alluring down part. It calls to the seven year-old within and attracts us in. As something, technologies are accepted and included into our way of life, apparently as a person, one known as together with of us to help us. But, without a knowledge of the transformative direction of technology, we do not management its place in our way of life. It becomes a tyrant that bullies us and draws us around on its rental instead of the other way around. Because of the preliminary alluring characteristics of technology, we don't quickly see that it will seem to take us to where we don't want to go and create us pay more than we first believed we were willing to pay. So, what shall we then do?
What We Must Do
I'm not providing a strategy but an strategy. The strategy relies upon upon completely knowing what has gotten a keep on us. We extremely recommend the following crucial items for start to handle technology and secure our humanity:
Clearly see that technologies are alluring and individual out and management the idiotic responses to the preliminary toy elements of new technology. Satisfaction can be late (an mature response) and toys and games can be both performed with and put away.
Think through both designed and random repercussions of providing a bright, new technology toy into your life. What is it replacing? How will you management it so it does not put you on a leash?
Do not believe that a new technology system is better than a more mature one that proved helpful well for you in the previous. I have a co-worker who keeps in a wallet a little record of points to do, ideas, and ideas. His pen and document record proved helpful a lot better than my PDA when when my technology system missing both main and back-up battery energy and I missing security passwords to several records and boards. Which is better?
Many new technology resources cannot be prevented. However, they can be handled. Think of methods to restrict their use and how to connect your guidelines for your use to your co-workers, members of the family, and buddies. For example, I examine my e-mail once a day and let you know to my co-workers that I am not seated at my pc all day awaiting the chime (evidently, they are).
Finally, pay focus on what technology tends to substitute and redouble your attempt to perform on connections so you have no remorse.