Time and Technology

Thanks for the comment. I think you might be underestimating the power of ageing. I see it in my friends I think you may have something in not wanting to be left behind. That attitude, and how strong one holds onto it, may be the key.

I have to agree that an effort is needed, and that more we age, more it is difficult to learn new things. I have also seen people left behind the day after they retired : it can also be a choice to devote more time to do some gardening or to go fishing than to technology. Bill Gates retired at 52 years old, but he still seems interested by technology : it is a matter of taste.

I think it is whether you use what you know and can adapt to new things from the old. Kind of like...me... I think cell phones are the biggest mistake ever made. I won't go into all the why's of that, but they are. No one talks anymore...they text. ANd in texting...abbriviations are used so people get lazy and stop spelling words correctly cause that is just what they do day to day. Do you have a calendar posted in your home...or do you use a PDA or other hand held device to schedule your activities? Look at all the apps you can have to do things via cell phone instead of doing them yourself...coupons...you dont' have to clip coupons anymore...just scan the bar code to your cell (or the site does it foryou) and show you phone at the register. stop and think seriously about alal the "short cuts" of today...and what they are short cuts for. Those are the things that are going into archieve. Look at PC's...went from the floppy 5" to the A drive disk, to CD's. And now...the CD's are on their way out making the thumb/flash drive the way to save stuff. Everything you look at and see the change...what was changed is going to be left behind. Do you ever hear of shorthand being a required talent? Of course not as the dictaphone replaced shorthand and then the PC replaced typewriter so it is easier to type notes yourself...ergo the slimming of the secretarial pool! Life goes on and things change and improve...sometimes for the better some times for the worse. But what you actually use, yourself, and what you are willing or able to let go and advance with the new is what keeps people in a place. I hate cell phones; I had one up till couple months ago..no data plan. So seldom used it. I hate texting as to much mis communication happens thus, causing problems. Do I stay up to date on the features and all of cell phones? Nope. Not at all and tho my kids are telling me to get a cell...i don't want one. If they want to talk to me, I have a land line. I won't text, and if they have limited call minutes, it is always free after 9pm and on weekends. Or email.. I will email but I won't Facebook. And I still snail mail letters! And you know what? I snail mail a letter and that person will call me and say how surprised and happy they were to get my letter! Do they say that on a text or just a phone call? Nope. So it just depends on if the technology is something you use, something that is important to you or just something you enjoy and want to "stay informed" about. And then too...everyone knows tons about the internet and cell phones and the like. How many know what the US Constitution says? Know any of the ammendments other than the 5th, the 1st and the 2nd? Things like that. Techonology has given so much, that we forget the humble beginnings. Humble beginnings were very good!