I had my MacBook open on my older brother’s couch one lazy afternoon, busy browsing the Internet for nothing remotely important.
My iPhone happily chirped that I had a message. I found my phone wedged under some couch cushions, and fired back a response within moments.
I picked up my Kindle, downloaded a book, and read the opening lines before being interrupted by my nephew. He had been sitting on the floor, entranced by his special pen that read sections of his book out loud. Now, he wanted to look up pictures of trains on my computer.
It was during this technology overload that forced me to ask some hard questions. Do I really need all of this? Has technology come too far? Are we too connected?
The answers are yes, no, and of course not. As my colleague Andrew pointed out, it can be good to ignore technology. I’m in favor of disconnecting every now and again to look at a rock or run a half-marathon, but when it comes down to it, I want more technology—not less.
Here’s why:
Power
The former ruler of Egypt was taken down by a revolution that originated from Facebook. North Koreans, not only are oppressed, but also have no means of discovering how the rest of the world lives because of their limited, or nonexistent, access to today’s technology. Their neighbor to the south however is one of the most connected and tech-savvy nations on the planet.
World affairs have in large part been changed by small, impassioned bands of people tired of the status quo. With increased technology, minority voices now have a more effective megaphone to shout with.
Information
As a kid, nothing was more annoying than the New York Yankees’ announcer telling me how impressive Mickey Mantle’s stats were, without giving me any other information. I’d have to rely on my dad’s memory from 1961, or lug out the million-page Baseball Encyclopedia from its place holding up the northwest corner of my house. Now, I can get those stats and bore someone with them in seconds.
Of course, more important information can be found on the Internet, but the point is it’s there. More information is a good thing. Even bad information makes us smarter. It forces our brain to think through things and then go out and seek out the good information.
Opinions can be sharper, debates can be bettered articulated, and mindless trivia fights with friends can be infinitely more entertaining. Why would we want less of this?
Fun
Do I care that you’re making a bologna sandwich with horseradish? No. Do I enjoy complaining about you posting it to Twitter as if I did? Absolutely. That’s because the Internet is also supposed to be fun. Of course we don’t need websites asking us to compare celebrities to reptiles, Facebook games like Shopping Cart Hero, or websites that showcase the clientele from America’s largest retail stores.
We deserve a break from the drudgery of end-of-the-world news reports and crashing stock markets to enjoy these wonderful creations. Or in my case, complain about those enjoying them.
It turns out I can’t even run a half-marathon without being connected. A chip attached to my shoes connects to my iPod telling me exactly how far and fast I’ve ran. Some might say it’s too much (especially since that information gets posted directly to my Facebook page). To them I say, “More, please.”
[image: streamishmc]
Related articles
- Solutions to social media overload (bizjournals.com)
- Does information overload matter? (scottberkun.com)
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