27 July 2007

Results and Post Script

I'm sure you all have been on the edge of your seat, waiting for the results of this extremely scientific survey. Wait no more; the results are in:

5% It's important to keep up with the latest developments.
78% I recognize the importance of technological advances but I don't need the hottest gadget.
15% I have what I need to get by.
0% What's wrong with the typewriter and payphone?

Most of us are in the middle, as you would probably expect. While very few of us are lining up to pay $500 for the iPhone, most of us probably do, in fact, have some sort of cell phone. Most of us are trying to keep up with what's out there, what's new, what's popular, but always in the back of our minds, what's practical, what can I afford, what do I really need?

This brings me to my post script: In a conversation with friends last night about technology, the observation was made that more technology doesn't always equal an easier, simplified, more organized life. In fact, none of us knew of anyone whose life was simpler because of more gadgets. After all, don't we end up with more things to repair? More software to update? More systems to upgrade? More email programs to synchronize? More applications to learn? More information stored in multiple places? I'm not saying that technology is never worth some of these hassles. Rather, we need to decide for ourselves which technology is truly beneficial for us, and which is simply peripheral. And I think this explains why the majority of us find ourselves in that second category. We want to be aware of technological advances, but we are constantly filtering out what we deem to be unfavorable for us. Again, we are trying to find that balance between being accessible and productive, and being... well... human.

1 comment:

Hauna said...

Thoreau would chalk it all up as "improved means to an unimproved end." Would you agree?