Just Kidding?

Earlier today, I read an article in "The Economist" that left me feeling somewhat shaken and uncertain about the future. I will say right now that it was probably written as an April Fool's Day joke on the readers, and having said that, I sincerely hope that this is the case. The article was discussing how businesses are doing what they can to make life easier for their customers, especially making it easier for customers to buy their products. It was pointed out that this business format encourages instant gratification, which is a dangerous proposition and also raised the question of just how far businesses will be willing to go, going into the future.

As I said, this whole thing was most likely written as a joke. But I can't shake the feeling that it may not be such a joke several years from now. I remember reading somewhere about a short, science-fiction story. One item of note in the story was that in the somewhat-distant future, humans have become so dependant on machines that the average person struggles to solve simple mathematics problems if they don't have a computer to help them with the calculations. Back when the story was written, it was (probably) satirical, but now it is closer to factual.

I realize that humanity's dependence on machines and computers has been the subject of criticism and concern for years. But what about our insistence on convenience? Are these advancements being made really necessary? I remember hearing on the radio about some smart crock-pot. You can turn it on and off with your smartphone...that's all. Also, it isn't very well protected which means hackers can get into your home wifi system through your crock-pot. The person on the radio went on to say that if you can't be bothered to turn a crock-pot on or off manually, you deserve to get your wifi system hacked.

I'm not calling upon people to completely reject technology or anything like that. Honestly, I wasn't intending to call upon people for anything in particular. But as long as I have your attention, I would like to ask that over the next week or so, try to be a little more patient, and try to see the world beyond the glowing screen of an electronic device. Take a walk around the neighborhood, leaving your phone/music player/whatever else at home. Visit the local library, check out a paper-and-ink book, bring it home, and read it. Find a recipe that looks tasty and easy (I say that because I have no idea what your competency for cooking is - if you're new to something, always start with the easy stuff), and prepare it by hand.

It may just be a few little changes here and there, but a lot of little changes, added all together, can equal something big.