Whoever
claims that technology is advancement to mankind needs to take a hard look at
society and how we interact. I have a written course syllabus with due
dates for this class, a calendar on my phone with sound notifications, a
calendar on my e-mail for work, a home calendar and I have even resorted to the
Sharpie scribble on the palm of my hand.
I rarely forget my
commitments yet I remember none of them. In Dan Yashinsky’s Suddenly, They Heard Footsteps, a truism
was expressed in King Thamus’s reaction to the last and greatest
time-saving invention, the written language. When the scribe god Thoth
introduced writing, Thamus was doubtful that it would improve society. He
suggested that we would cease to remember from within and we would only
remember by “external marks.” He said our minds would search for vessels
of recollections but lack capability to remember on our own. We are
knowledgeable because we find resources but are we wise? Thamus suggested
that mankind is filled with the conceit of wisdom instead of real wisdom.
Today, we are living out his “nightmare.” We are not relying on
ourselves; we are “gadget driven.”
We
are a people of no one. In one day, I respond to more than 30 e-mails, 20
phone texts, yet talk to less than 10 people. We are losing connectivity
with mankind. Just this morning, I received a text and not a phone call
from a woman I have not met yet but would like to meet. We run the risk
of losing the value of our voice. A much younger friend of mine advised
me when to call and when to text. He said that if you don’t want to
interact with the person…just text. He admitted that it saves the time
conversing with people when all you want is a quick answer. We have
“outsourced” face to face conversation.
Do
we have a problem? Yes, indeed. Do we have a solution? Yes,
indeed, bring back face-to-face communication – tell some stories!
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