Home Politics & Debate
If you need urgent support, call 999 or go to your nearest A&E. To contact our Crisis Messenger (open 24/7) text THEMIX to 85258.

Are we becoming to self reliant on Technology?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2013/jan/01/google-now-personal-assistant

Having a look at the above article I saw linked on twitter, came across an interesting thought in my head. The article talks about how products provided by firms such as google are helping us out.
Does Google's new 'personal assistant' rely too much on individual action, or does it render individuals irrelevant?

I think that if you picked up a map and compass, a lot of people wouldn't have a clue how to navigate properly. I think that the mad panic and terror caused when technology goes wrong, is not purely because a service is missing, people just don't know how to do things for themselves anymore. These days we learn how to use technology to give us the information, not the skills involved in actually navigating. In the linked article it mentions apps which can tell us when we need to leave somewhere depending on public transport, what happened to prior preparation preventing piss poor performance (G-Raffes 6 P's of wisdom).

Does being reliant on technology stop us, or hold us back in becoming self reliant as people?

Have you been on a situation where technology has failed, which has perhaps driven you to achieve without it, or has left you in the complete lurch?


Sent from my whyayePad using Tapatalk

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I always feel stupid when I go to post a letter and have to think about which side to put the stamp on, or trying to fill out a cheque the right way. :confused:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    But you then go and figure it out. I think what concerns me more, is not just people who have skill fade through lack of sending letters in your case. It's also thinking along the lines of technology which directly replaces what you would normally do. Such as if you had a machine which addressed and stamped your letters for you.


    Sent from my whyayePad using Tapatalk
  • Annaarrr!!Annaarrr!! Posts: 876 Part of The Mix Family
    i can navigate fine with a map if i need to, but then i did scouts/cadets etc where we learnt how to do so so it doesn't surprise me that people may be clueless. I freak out if my phone battery dies and i cant charge it or if i havent got it on me but thats only cos it means i can't communicate with certain people if I need to. I mean I don't see how being without certain technologies could leave people in a situation where there is no way out, if you're lost somewhere what's stopping you from asking someone for directions or trusting your gut instinct and walking if no ones about? People have survived for centuries without all this technology and the stuff that was there before hasn't really been taken away, its all a bit mad if you ask me
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I once visited my friend's uni town for a partayyyy, and I thought in my head "what would happen if I lost everyone whilst we were out and my phone ran out of battery?"

    In the end I wrote her address on my hand, but it did make me stop and think. I could have been left in a strange city with no means to get in contact with anyone ;) I could have rung my mum (about the only telephone number I know off by heart) but she would have been 300 miles away. Sorry if that's a lame example ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Annaarrr!! wrote: »
    i can navigate fine with a map if i need to, but then i did scouts/cadets etc where we learnt how to do so so it doesn't surprise me that people may be clueless. I freak out if my phone battery dies and i cant charge it or if i havent got it on me but thats only cos it means i can't communicate with certain people if I need to. I mean I don't see how being without certain technologies could leave people in a situation where there is no way out, if you're lost somewhere what's stopping you from asking someone for directions or trusting your gut instinct and walking if no ones about? People have survived for centuries without all this technology and the stuff that was there before hasn't really been taken away, its all a bit mad if you ask me

    That is the thing, stuff was there before all this technology appeared, yet it seems to me anyway that people are becoming far too reliant on it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Darwins theory of evolution applies to this fully.

    If technology disappeared/broke/turns evil, those who have the knowledge to look after themselves without it, will survive and move on. Those who don't will simply have to learn, and adapt to live, or die.
    If there was a collapse in technology, there's a lot more you'd need to worry about I'm sure.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ive had the situation before where i was going somewhere for a night out, the sat nav ran out of battery and i didnt have a map so i had to turn around and go home. Im sure i could have found my way if i'd had a map though.

    But you're right, i think people are too reliant on technology, i wonder how much of our lives we would have to change without it. Nobody would be able to come on here for a start
  • Annaarrr!!Annaarrr!! Posts: 876 Part of The Mix Family
    We'd have to rely on other humans :nervous: hahha
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We may be heading towards the loss of technology. If we hit peak oil without having come up with viable means of alternative energy production things will get very bad, very quickly.

    Some countries with good coal reserves like ours may be ok, but others won't be so lucky.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the more technology that becomes available the more reliant people become to it, parents are now buying children gadgets as it's what everyone has, it keeps them quiet and entertained, long journey ahead? Get the gadgets out for the kids to make it easier. you basically never see a teenager without their phone, and I know I hear a lot of distraught coming from them when it's broke or run out of power, instead of things being arranged prior to the event you could receive a text or phone call on the day ironing out final arrangements.
    I wouldn't say technology is bad, there are obviously a lot of good that has come from it, but it's the vast amount of technology that's being produced that's able to do more and more which causes us to become more reliable on it.
    Sorry it's a bit of a rubbish response...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Luckystar has a rather good point. I've noticed myself an increasing trend for people to leave finalising details till the last possible moment. I can understand that plans do change, but to have no plan in place until the last possible moment, is almost just asking for technology to go wrong and screw things up!


    Sent from my whyayePad using Tapatalk
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I read an article a while ago commenting on research that was claiming technology was changing the way people think. It posited that people aren't remembering specific things in favour of knowing how to get information on any specific thing.

    It kind of makes sense as technological progress makes things ever more complicated. Centuries ago a lot of accomplished people were described as polymaths. Do we get these any more, people who are experts in many different fields? Or as the complexity of accumulated knowledge gets deeper and deeper does it mean people must specialise?
Sign In or Register to comment.