Could technology lead to the end of the world?
Last week I demonstrated a handful of consumer electronics to a local group of people in Indianapolis. I talked about the good and the bad for each one with the goal of letting each audience member decide whether to love or leave the technology. I concluded by opening up the floor for a general Q & A session.
The Q & A quickly turned to a discussion about what the nectarines Twitter and Facebook are. As I explained each one, I looked around the room and noticed a lot of quizical faces so I quickly concluded with an "It's kind of a younger generation thing. You either get it or you don't."
Satisfaction for all but one
That statement seemed to satisfy most people in the room. Except for one. She approached me after everyone else had left and told me that technologies like Facebook and Twitter are destroying our world. She went on to say that we are putting too much information out where the entire world can see it and that someone needs to control this information soon or we will all face the consequences.
She further stated that consumer electronics products like the Wii, the iPhone and the Kindle have caused us to stop using our brains and that this, in combination with the flow of public information, would eventually lead to the end of the world.
I told her as gracefully as I could that I didn't share her opinion. I explained how I thought the Internet has just caused a paradigm shift (I can't believe I used that phrase even after being out of the corporate world for 3 years) in how people interact with one another. I realized after a minute or two that she wasn't buying a single thing I was saying so I eventually stopped trying to convince her and listened to the rest of her arguments.
What is your opinion?
While I still stand firm on my stance that technology such as Facebook, the Wii and the iPhone are not going to cause the end of civilization, it did make me start to wonder. What do other people think?
Which is why I wrote this blog post. I'm hoping everyone reading it will leave a comment and chime in with their own opinion on the matter. Specifically, is technology preventing us from using our brains and will the public flow of information on the Internet eventually lead to the end of the world if it is not soon controlled?
Let me know what you think.
11 comments for this blog post so far...
July 05, 2009 at 10:54 pm
Jon Speer
Interesting post. While I’m a fan of technology, I’m not sure it’s making me any smarter. I can easily get sucked into twitter, Facebook, etc. The technologies of today definitely fuel the generation of multi-taskers / millenials. The challenge for all of us is to figure out how to harness technology for the forces of good.
July 06, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Patric Welch
@Jon: I think technology has made me smarter. And I think it makes me work smarter too. Without my iPod and Audible.com there is no way I would listen to one business-related audiobook about every other week.
Which of course, leaves me extra time for Facebook and Twitter :)
July 07, 2009 at 2:07 pm
Dick
Nectarine? Is that something a Noobie would know? This one doesn’t and I can’t find it via a Google search. Yeh, yeh, I know it’s a fruit, but what is it when it’s in the same sentence as Twitter and Facebook as in your second paragraph. Maybe it’s a sweet little nothing.
July 07, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Bernie Kurzawa
I still don’t know how to use Facebook. Several of my relatives mostly grandkids have sent me
their facebook to ask me to join them. I think it’s a nice way to keep in touch without the forwards that go round and round with no connection made. It’s what you make of things that is good or bad. I tend to look for good in most things.
July 07, 2009 at 11:12 pm
Brian
I am pretty sure there where people that said the same thing when the printing press was invented. OMG, WTF will happen when the people can read instead of us reading the scroll to them?!
July 08, 2009 at 4:54 pm
GEORGIA MILLER
WHEN IT’S ALL BOILED DOWN WHO REALLY CARES WHAT EVERYONE IS DOING OR GOING TO DO IN 140 WORDS MORE OR LESS?
July 08, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Patric Welch
Thank you everyone for your comments. @Brian: Your comment in particular really made me laugh!
July 09, 2009 at 9:43 am
greenwoodmom
Oh, Patric, the people who know how to survive whatever befalls the world in the future do not bother with technology as we know it. They are blacksmiths, farmers, and carpenters, etc., who, with the tools of their trades can survive, no matter what. All the technology we have now is great for research and communication--but can my expert gamer build a shelter? no.....alas.
July 09, 2009 at 9:47 am
Patric Welch
@greenwoodmom: Ah yes, but don’t expert gamers believe they have endless lives? ;)
July 10, 2009 at 3:39 pm
asudduth
In short, I do believe that technology will play a big roll in the end of the world.
With that said do I think technology will cause the end of the world? no Do I think technology is making us smarter? yes. Do I think technology is making us more lazy? yes.
All in all it comes down to what you use it for. Hopefully we are smart enough to make good decision to balance technology use between education, business, communication, and pleasure and not just to play Call of Duty, Rock Band, and Mario Kart!
@Patric off topic - if you mistype the security phrase it would be nice if the text you typed would be saved!
July 14, 2009 at 9:43 pm
Patric Welch
@asudduth Saving the text on a mistyped CAPTCHA is one of the many items on my list for the next round of enhancements to the web site. For now, just do what I do and copy the text into your clipboard before submitting your comment.
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