Do We Depend Too Much on Technology?

[disneyfav4ever]

I think we do. It seems like so much now requires the internet, and a lot of people act like cell phones are a necessity, but they are both relativly new devices.

Ten years ago or so cell phones were a rarity, same thing with the internet, though the internet is slightly older.

People were able to function fine then, but I see all the time on things now that say internet access required, or things requiring an e-mail address. I saw someone yesterday, who was told she had to do something online, and when she said she didn't have the internet, she was basically told too bad.

Other people act like they need their cell phones 24/7 for their jobs, families, etc. What did they do before they had cell phones?

I'm not dissing either the cell phone or the internet, and I use both regulary, it just seems like so much depends on both of them nowdays, that if both were taken away, it would cause a lot of people a lot of problems. It also seems that if some people don't have one and/or both, they are punished in some way, like the lady I saw yesterday.

 

[mdrob214]

I think we probably do. I mean, I make my kids take their cell phones with them everywhere. I don't le not being able to reach them. And I would not otherwise describe myself as a helicopter mom. I think back to all the things I did as a teen and my parents didn't know where I was or how to get in touch. That would drive me crazy.

 

[allison443]

I'm not dissing either the cell phone or the internet, and I use both regulary, it just seems like so much depends on both of them nowdays, that if both were taken away, it would cause a lot of people a lot of problems. It also seems that if some people don't have one and/or both, they are punished in some way, like the lady I saw yesterday.

Well, I don't think either cell phones or internet are going away, so no problems then, right? Unless you've heard something I haven't

I just don't get the argument of, we survived for years without cell phones. Of course we did..but we also survived without television, washing machines, even electricity...but I'm certainly not going back to those good old days!!

 

[allison443]

OP I do agree that someone is at a disadvantage if they don't have the internet...my dd is applying to colleges now, they all want online applications only. Of course students usually have internet access at school, or at the public library.

Or just things like looking for a job..so much of that is online now.

Do you remember trying to get directions to go somewhere before mapquest? Phone calls, maps, etc.

 

[Mickey13]

I think we are becoming dependent. I could not believe what I did this morning at work. I was in the restroom. I went to the sink to wash my hands. Automatically, I put my hands under the faucet expecting the water to come out. Nothing did. About 10 seconds later, I realized that the faucet was not sensor operated, it was the type that I had to manually turn on.

Fortunately for me, no one saw me, but I still felt like a dunce.

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

I always wondered why the Jetsons and their neighbors weren't overweight since they never even had to walk anywhere.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I just don't get the argument of, we survived for years without cell phones. Of course we did..but w e also survived without television, washing machines, even electricity...but I'm certainly not going back to those good old days!!

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

Yes I think we do. Sad to say too because DH is in the technology industry.

What frustrates me most? Going to the store and everything needing to be scanned, if they can't get the scanner to work they don't know what to do.
Or if the power goes out they can't get the computers to work to check out.

I also don't like the feeling of being accessible all the time.

If the house phone rings and I don't answer someone calls my cell, or sends me a text. If that doesn't work then the computer is blipping at me because I have email from whoever. Yes, I know I can turn them off and I do, but when I don't answer the phone it's for a reason. If it's important, leave a message.

But I do like having my cell though because I am constantly on the go and if the kids need me at school they can call me. They, however, have no need for a cell, even though they all asked for them for Xmas. They are either at home with me or DH, at school, or with a friend with an adult or with my parents. No need for a phone. DS12 will probably get one in High School only if he is in some kind of after school activity.

 

[Pixiedust34]

Yes. Dh and I were talking about this just last night. He's been teaching at the same middle school for years, though it's a school that sees a big turnover of teachers so there are plenty of new and young teachers every fall.

He said that up until about 3-4+ years ago, he was able to get to know more teachers well because in what little free time they had (passing in the hallway, greeting each other at the copying machine, those few minutes before a faculty meeting, etc.) they would chit-chat with each other.

Nowadays, he said that the "old timers" like him still do a lot of IRL chit-chatting, but the younger teachers have their cell phones in hand and text like crazy during every free minute.

He regrets that he doesn't know as many teachers as he used to. It's difficult to strike up a conversation when the other person's attention is at texting someone else. It seems that the new teachers (some of them--not all of them I'm sure) are so into their checking their text messages every few minutes that they are overlooking good IRL here & now relationships they can have at work.

Dh also admitted that email has cut back a little bit on his chit-chatting. In the past, if he wanted to ask another teacher a question, he'd walk down the hall and do so. Now, he usually sends an email because it's quicker. He doesn't have the same amount of IRL social time that he used to have before teachers started using email.

It's interesting to ponder unexpected ways that technology has changed society.

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I agree Kelly. It's like we are plugged in more then ever but everyone is so disconnected on a personal level.

 

[mtdevine615]

I'm sure it's not much different then it was 100+ years ago. Think how hard everyone worked just to survive. Laundry by hand using a scrub board, growing a lot of your food at home or hunting for it or when it got dark it was really dark because there were no electric lights and so on. Technology is just a natural part of the human race progressing.

 

[SC Minnie]

It is really prevelent at work. If I don't have my computer I can't really do my job and I don't work in a technology related job. All my information is on my computer. When we were changing to a new computer platform I couldn't do anything for the 2 hours it took them to migrate my computer.

To show my age, when I was in college the new technology was fax machines. I had one professor tell up about she had been out of town and when she got back she had a legal document that needed signed and returned by a certain date. The date it had to be returned was the date she got back so no time to get it back through the mail. She had to search and search to find somewhere with a fax machine so she could get them a signature until the original could arrive by mail. In this day most home printers act as faxes and scanners.

 

[legalsea]

Yes, we are too dependent on technology. If the power goes out for any significant period of time, there will be a lot of hardship, looting, etc.

When I would visit my great-grandmother in the early 1960s, up in Kansas, she certainly had some 'new technology', including electricity. However, if the power were to go out, it would not have phased her.

She had her own water well (in the kitchen my early morning chore was to 'prime the pump', i.e., I would start pumping the handle up and down to the pump; if water did not start coming out, I would pour a little bit of water down the throat (spare water was always kept around in large vats) to get the flow going. Hence, we never had any need to worry about water.

She had her own garden, and we would feed on fresh vegetables all summer long, while she would can hundreds of jars to last the winter. She also had chickens, and I believe some pigs. She owned wheat land, and there was a man in town who would grind some of her wheat for her each year; we would have huge burlap sacks of wheat stored away. Talk about fresh chicken and dumplings!

As I said she had electric lights, but she always kept the old oil lamps available, as well as huge candles. Even in her late 70s she could walk for miles, if her car couldn't start.

I do have an electrical generator at our house, so during a blackout I can provide electricity for about two days before getting more gas would be a concern. We have about three days of water stored. Food: I dunno. Maybe two days. My 'garden' is pathetic. Pretty good shape on booze.

I truly believe that, someday, a terrorist attack will strike at our electrical plants, and we will be in 'hot water' (not literally) for quite a while. The lack of internet access will be the least of our concerns.

Yet, one can't still live as they did one hundred years ago (unless you wish to move to the deep woods like the Unibomber did). The wonderful technology is available, and we would be fools to not use it. I believe that it does, however, make us much more vulnerable should the electricity go out.

 

[allison443]

Yes, we are too dependent on technology. If the power goes out for any significant period of time, there will be a lot of hardship, looting, etc.

When I would visit my great-grandmother in the early 1960s, up in Kansas, she certainly had some 'new technology', including electricity. However, if the power were to go out, it would not have phased her.

She had her own water well (in the kitchen my early morning chore was to 'prime the pump', i.e., I would start pumping the handle up and down to the pump; if water did not start coming out, I would pour a little bit of water down the throat (spare water was always kept around in large vats) to get the flow going. Hence, we never had any need to worry about water.

She had her own garden, and we would feed on fresh vegetables all summer long, while she would can hundreds of jars to last the winter. She also had chickens, and I believe some pigs. She owned wheat land, and there was a man in town who would grind some of her wheat for her each year; we would have huge burlap sacks of wheat stored away. Talk about fresh chicken and dumplings!

As I said she had electric lights, but she always kept the old oil lamps available, as well as huge candles. Even in her late 70s she could walk for miles, if her car couldn't start.

Well, back at that time, my grandparents along with lots of other people lived in the city and didn't have any of the things you mentioned.

 

[allison443]

I do have an electrical generator at our house, so during a blackout I can provide electricity for about two days before getting more gas would be a concern. We have about three days of water stored. Food: I dunno. Maybe two days. My 'garden' is pathetic. Pretty good shape on booze.

Hey, priorities

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

I think we do. It seems like so much now requires the internet, and a lot of people act like cell phones are a necessity, but they are both relativly new devices.

Ten years ago or so cell phones were a rarity, same thing with the internet, though the internet is slightly older.

People were able to function fine then, but I see all the time on things now that say internet access required, or things requiring an e-mail address. I saw someone yesterday, who was told she had to do something online, and when she said she didn't have the internet, she was basically told too bad.

Other people act like they need their cell phones 24/7 for their jobs, families, etc. What did they do before they had cell phones?

I'm not dissing either the cell phone or the internet, and I use both regulary, it just seems like so much depends on both of them nowdays, that if both were taken away, it would cause a lot of people a lot of problems. It also seems that if some people don't have one and/or both, they are punished in some way, like the lady I saw yesterday.

It is true. In alot of ways things are better for these things.
Just think what it will be like when our greatgrand kids are running the world.

 

[Becky2005]

I know with having school age kids, I have decided having a computer/internet is pretty much a necessity.

I suppose there is always the library but that is a pain to go to when they have a Powerpoint presentation due the next day and it's 8 pm at night type of thing.

PLUS -- our kid's grades and things are now on-line that we can access. I have one child in special ed and his teacher e-mails a weekly notice of what is coming up for the week ahead, etc...

DD's cheer coach e-mails us reminders about events coming up (she does give out hard copies too at the class but...).

There are just so many things that I do with pertaining to the schools that life would definitely be more difficult without the computer. I know they have daily announcements and things posted, so I look at that to know what is going on. They have the schedule for sports meets and things posted.

As a matter of fact, last year they decided they were going to do the Newsletters via e-mail vs. printing/mailing them. I think they still print a small number available in the office but they really emphasize going via e-mail.

My 8 year old's Cub Scout troop just recently went to only e-mail for their newsletters, so I have no idea what would happen if you didn't have an e-mail. I guess you just wouldn't know what is going on.

Cell phones are almost becoming a necessity for High Schoolers at least. I don't know how many times, it was basically assumed you have one by the coaches with "they will call you when they arrive back at the school" -- the problem with that is there are no pay phones there, the office wouldn't be open and so the only way that works is if they bring their cell phones! Even in 8th grade for the Great America trip, they put right on the permission slip for the kids to bring their cell phones if they have one. Last year the bus DD was on broke down, so they were over an hour late back to the meeting location due to having to wait for a 2nd bus to put everyone on, etc... Cell phones allowed a lot of people to figure out what was going on when some of the busses showed up and some didn't at the appointed time/place.

I never thought the cell phones would become so vital around here but they have for us between all the after-school activities that have last minute weird changes and late/new bus drivers that don't know where they are going.

OH -- I also wanted to add -- evening applying for a job a lot of them are "on-line only" type of applications. A lot do have kiosks set up in the store but others don't.

 

[bicker]

"Do we depend too much on clothing?"

I think a lot of people unnecessary demonize technology. I think our society uses technology to the extent it finds value in doing so, and that's perfectly fine.

What did they do before they had cell phones?

They did without the access a cell phone represents. That's not a good thing.

 

[LaraK]

I've kinda matured with the technology. I remember learning to type on a selectric. We got an IBM in 1980. I had a Commodore 64. My college had ONE computer lab on campus with about 30 computers...that was it for the whole campus. Now I carry a Crackberry and am in touch 24/7.

I think that technology has been a blessing and a curse. A blessing because we can do more faster. A curse because we're expected to do more faster.

I thought we were supposed to live lives of leasure once the technology took over. I'm still waiting for my robot monkey that can clean my house and do my laundry.

 

[Feralpeg]

I do think technology has changed the way we function for the worse in some cases. When I first began working, if a person had a problem, they would go to another person and work it out. Once everyone had email and phonemail, that stopped. People stopped getting to know each other as more than passing acquaintances. It is much easier to put a person off by email or phonemail than in person. Cooperation became a thing of the past. I found this to be sad.

When I was teaching high school, the kids were obsessed with their cell phones. They were not allowed to have them on during class, but it was a daily struggle to enforce the policy. One student was involved in a very bad car accident due to his cell phone. While reaching for it, he veered to the side and hit a car waiting to complete a turn. The driver in the other car died. While the kids were saddened by the accident, they saw no problem with what the boy had been doing. I asked them why they thought they needed to use a cell phone while driving. They told me they had to make plans with their friends. I explained that I had lived for over 50 years without a cell phone and still managed to have a social life. They thought I was crazy.

I do have a cell phone and I like having it, but I don't need to use it constantly. I could easily give it up.

It isn't the technology that is the problem. It is the way we use it.