If technology offends you, turn it off
by Douglas E. Welch
September 21, 1999
© 1999, Douglas E. Welch
If technology offends you, turn it off
Every day I hear complaints from people who believe technology
is running, if not ruining, their lives. Television, ATMs, computers,
telephones; it seems everything is conspiring to control their
lives. My first recommendation to these people is to use the simplest
technological device they have at their disposal, the off switch.
If you really want to feel you are in control of your life, there
is a way to do it.
Taking control
Television is one technology that is often blamed for a host of
societal and personal ills. My wife works for a major network
television show but I am far from an apologist for the television
and movie industry. Large portions of the products delivered each
year aren't fit for consumption, but among the dross there are
true strands of gold. Cutting yourself and your family off from
television entirely seems a drastic response. I find that there
are hours of television every week that are uplifting, entertaining
and educating. You may have to do some hunting, but it is out
there. The increase in cable networks has especially increased
the diversity of television and the availability of quality shows.
If, in the end, there is nothing you deem worth watching, don’t
hesitate to turn the TV off. You still have the power to make
this ultimate decision.
Like television, the Internet’s biggest benefit and biggest drawback
is the amount of information available. Though the newspapers
and television news are filled with horror stories of the evil
and deadly information available there, I find that if you look
beyond the hype and scare tactics you will find gems of information.
I have written in previous columns about art museums available online. There is a host of information
available on almost any other interest you might have. You can
find online communities that can expand your enjoyment of your
hobbies by connecting you to other interested people. You can
access more information about governmental services and product
information directly from companies. Through online discussion groups you can get real-world feedback about new technologies, new companies
and almost anything directly from other people with your interests.
Word of mouth has been proven to be one of the best ways to make
purchasing decisions and the Internet expands its impact dramatically.
Even banks still offer teller service in every branch. Their hours
are not much different than they were before the advent of ATMs.
If you want to deal with a human being, that option still exists.
Of course, I still hear complaints about bad service from tellers
so you might be trading one problem for another.
Getting away from it all
As much as I love technology and what it can do for us I must
admit that there are times when I want to leave technology behind.
When I go on a family vacation I rarely take a computer with me.
I have been offline for more than 2 weeks in some cases and it
truly doesn’t bother me. If I do check email while I am away I
am looking more for personal letters than work-related missives.
I try to balance my high-tech lifestyle with more than a little
"high-touch." I love to garden and even write about that aspect
of my life. (See A Gardener’s Notebook) I like to hike and get out into nature. When I engage in these
activities I have no desire to bring along a computer (although
it might be interesting to play around with a GPS (global positioning
satellite) device.
Whatever your feelings about technology it is important to remember
that you are in control. You don’t have to answer that ringing
cell phone. You can let the email wait. You can turn off the TV
or find something more enlightening. You can stop browsing the
Internet to play with your kids. Many of the so-called evils of
technology have more to do with the way we use it than with the
technology yourself.
Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and computer consultant
in Van Nuys, California.He also writes Career Opportunities, a weekly column on high-tech careers and A Gardener's Notebook. You can find more of Douglas' writing on his web page at: http://www.welchwrite.com/
He can reached via email at douglas@welchwrite.com
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