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I used to think that I coped reasonably well with technology. Given that I am a Gen X, bridging the culture gap between the older generations and the new, I adapted more or less to the rapidly changing world of cellphones, PCs and e-readers without too much hassle – or so I thought.
Just the other day I tried to connect to a Zoom meeting. Simple, many of you might say. Child’s play. First of all, the date settings were all wrong, and try as I might I could not pinpoint the error there. Then my audio began playing up, and so on and so on, until I discovered they had sent me the wrong link altogether which was for a whole different meeting. Needless to say, this leaves one feeling somewhat foolish, and I was so able to identify with my poor bewildered parents many years ago when they had me explain to them how their new VCR worked. I felt so smug back then, so adult, so so – in control! After all, I was a child of the early 80s. A Go-getter, capitalism driven, and to my generation the square shoulder pads, scientific calculators, Walkman stereos and brick cell phones were the ultimate of sophistication. On the game front, Pac Man ruled the day along with Space Invaders. The IBM computer bay at school (complete with huge desk sized modules and rattling dot printers) was a hallowed sanctuary for the Chosen Few.
But ohhh how times have changed, and technology with it, at an ever increasing breathtaking speed. And not necessarily for the better.
Advances are meant to simplify our lives. As the 20th century dawned, people eagerly embraced back breaking labour saving devices such as washing machines, tractors, petrol lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners. We thrilled to the advent of picture theatres, listened with baited breath to the radio, and planes and motor cars rapidly became accessible to almost everyone. We were better informed, travelled further than ever before, and thanks to our labour saving devices even had the time to pursue other interests outside of just trying to eke out a living.
Since when did we start to spend all our time just trying to eke out an understanding of the all consuming web of chaos we have created?
Nowadays we live in a whirlwind of dub dub dub dot com this and that, URL this and that, friend and unfriend. Since when did Tweet mean contacting someone rather than a bird call, and Cookie some connection enhancement device rather than a crunchy treat? An acquaintance of mine remarked just the other day that by the time he has signed into umpteen programs at work alone, he has wasted at least fifteen minutes of worktime. Then he faces at least another half hour combing through the avalanche of emails received overnight, and systematically deleting and unsubscribing from the horde of howling messages wanting his attention – and most of these are trivial at best. He is supposed to start work at 8.30 but usually does not manage to tackle anything serious until morning tea time.
If you too feel that trivia is ruling the day, look to the abbreviated and often crude nature of texting. It may be handy as a quick means of contact, but many people under a certain age are now rapidly losing their general literacy and ability to understand more complex written information. Many universities are reporting that the academic calibre of new students has dropped considerably as a result. Too many people can no longer think for themselves – it is far easier to turn to Google or Wiki for the answers, and whatever their mates say about issues on Facebook is taken as gospel rather than the emotional and public opinion driving trivia that it mostly is.
We cannot move without our smart phones now. It is our identity, our soul, our everything. Go into any shopping mall or public place and you see people walking or sitting around, glued to their screens, oblivious to the world around them , totally consumed by the bright twinkly lights and social media platforms offering up trivial nothings. Some social workers even report young people suffering withdraw when devices are taken away as they have lost the ability to look and observe the real world and see what it has to offer around them. A world of mindless social drivel, of fluttery promises and self promoting videos and selfie pics is what now intrigues them most.
Since when did our society become so shallow, so self absorbed? At what point did the tables turn and our tools become our master? But unlike humanity, technology has no soul.
I have been reminded in recent times of the Terminator film series, when Skynet, the world wide system of military defence, became self aware and decided humans were superfluous to its needs. Prophetic isn’t it? As the technological tyrant in our midst grows ever more rapacious for our time and our resources, it consumes greedily, constantly and remorselessly. A recent TV panel of experts predicted that within the next 20 year over 40% of all jobs, regardless of how well educated or skilled you are, will disappear. I know from my own experience that for each job advertised now, at least 200 people will apply. Hours of employment are now often up for negotiation, you see more short term or casual work advertised, and you wonder how anyone will make a half decent living once we have kowtowed to the computer gods and given them all our livelihoods as well as our souls. And if our earning capacity is so drastically reduced, how will the global economy survive if no-one can afford to buy or sell? I don’t think the latest cute cat pic will put food on the table, fix the car or find a doctor. Nor will your new selfie solve the growing social unrest, the riots or the growing poverty in so many nations, including the so-called developed world.
Forget Covid-19, folks! The true pandemic is all around us. And its casualty rate is now in the billions.
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