Techonology

I thought I'd depart a little from my usual family going-ons and write a little bit about something that's been on my mind lately.

When I entered university, I remember distinctly how I felt on becoming a number. All of a sudden I was given a 9 digit number by which I would be referred for the next four years. I needed it to check my grades, use the library, find my records, log onto the internet. It was the way I was referred to on class lists. I was so disturbed by my new anonymity brought on by technology that I even penned my feelings into a poem titled "In The Age of This World". It was a typical jaded university student's response to social surroundings, but as I reread it today, the truth of it still rings true. The gist of the poem is summed up in these lines:

With all these time-saving devices
I wonder just what is
The disastrous crisis
That keeps us so busy that we can't afford
To do things ourselves
In the age of this world.

***

Fast forward eight years and you come to a book I read not too long ago, called "Better Off". This fantastic account of an MIT grad who lives for a year in an Amish village totally inspired me. His thesis question was: just how much technology do we need to make life easier? How much time are we actually saving by using all these "time-saving devices"? His thought was to strip it all away and just see what he and his new wife could and couldn't do without. The conclusions were astounding. I won't go into detail, but all of you need to read this book. I know I have a completely different outlook on things now.

***

I know there are some fantastic conveniences that have been invented thanks to advancements in technology. You certainly won't find our house completely unplugged. But I now have some food for thought, and some interesting ideas to implement (once I'm able to get up and move around a little more!) Many of my concerns stem from the fact that I'm raising a son. I know that video games have become limb extensions, and that's definitely something I am going to avoid at all costs. (Side note: I heard an interesting quote I'm storing away for when Colin is a teenager: "Show me a guy glued to a video game and I'll show you a guy who's girlfriend I can steal in one week.") So check back in a little bit, and I'll keep you up to date on how we decide to 'flip the switch on technology'.