Something I have become increasingly aware of – while overseeing procedures at alldayPA – is that attitudes towards technology have changed and as a nation we are becoming less bothered. Although technology has enriched our lives, somewhere along the way people have forgotten this (or even worse: never stopped to think about this) and we have begun to take life-changing gadgets for granted.
For most of us, technology is a utility. We use it for work and we use it for play. Yet most of us have seemingly forgotten the impact technology has on our lives. Does anybody take the time to sit back and give technology the recognition it deserves? Sure, the latest technologies still receive appreciation, but the novelty soon wears off when the next latest gadget is released. In the digital era, are we really taking technology for granted?
Technology Purpose vs Social Status
A few years ago I had an old Nokia 3310 weighing my back pocket down. It was built to function: the battery lasted for days and a signal was always easily detected. Now in my back pocket I have a HD camera, an ability to attend a video phone conference on the go, the capacity to sends texts by voice and much, much more. Smart phones are a technology masterpiece, and although not essential to our survival, we would be lost without them.
On the other hand, technology appreciation can become an ugly trait, whereby the elitist and the self-centred see the latest technology as a social status. These people, with their muscles itching to become apart of the social bite, queue endlessly to get their hands on the latest gadget as soon as their current model is deemed old. This is technology, right?! There is always something in the pipeline ready to be released. Your current gadget is moments way from being last week’s news.
Advances in Technology Offers Opportunity
Technology makes our lives easier and when technologies don’t deliver we’re quick to dispose as there is ALWAYS something else out there. This need to have the latest technology becomes an addiction. Just like the majority, I have been guilty and will be likely to repeat such a sin in the future.
Do you remember the days when connecting to the internet meant dialling up through your telephone line? Times have changed and we have plenty to be thankful for. We are caught in a whirlwind of speed and efficiency. We are spoilt for choice and we cannot help it. But when we allow ourselves to see past the ‘selfies’ and the ‘hash tags’, we see technology as an opportunity. It is an opportunity to access information at our fingertips. This is what we should give thanks for.
I suggest you take five minutes out of your day to stop taking technology for granted and start to appreciate your gadgets. Utilise your access to catalogues of human knowledge and learn something new. Something interesting. Give new meaning to your gadgets and make them new again with the information at your fingertips.
