Is technology where it’s at?
In the US, there is a current discussion about a presidential candidate who apparently doesn't know how to used email. The question raises an interesting point.
Without going into the politics of the whole thing, which is a subject much better suited for other blogs, let's just look at the question of whether or not it is vital to be technologically integrated in this day and age.
If a person is, let's say over 50, is it vital that they get a computer and get into the internet age? I say no. I am not even convinced that the young should be totally immersed in it. Knowing how it works and understanding it is one thing, but for some of us, we would be better served to “just say no”. For many more of us, we would be well served to limit our exposure.
I am not even talking about the renowned sinful temptations and cyberdangers of the internet. I am just talking about wasting our precious time in the pursuit of “efficiency.”
You see, there are things that computers speed up in a terrifically dramatic way. There are other ways it just doesn't live up to its promise. We need to be wise and discern between them.
Like the Mennonite and Amish communities, perhaps we would be well served to take a long hard look at what technology brings us and adapt only that which we are really ready to deal with and which serves us in an overall sense.
For some of us, that might mean not having a computer a home. For others, it might mean having an aggressive filter for our internet access. For others, it might mean checking our email only once daily. For others, it might be a decision to use a hand plane instead of a CNC machine.
The fact is the internet brings the world to our desktop. We should ask ourselves if we really want it there.