Today I am digressing from my usual topics of books, writing, and causes to share my thoughts about our wonderful world of advanced technology.
Whenever I call any type of company or organization now, there are no longer live human beings to communicate with. Instead, a recording informs me to choose from a list of options and press the number that applies to my request. After I press the designated key, the recording then instructs me to wait for my turn. This wait can be anywhere from five minutes to 40. I’m just outta luck if I happen to be in a hurry, but this is our new world of advanced, sophisticated technology.
Being middle-aged, I am used to conducting my bank business by physically entering the bank and speaking to a teller. But those days will soon be gone—a bank representative recently told me that the bank will be doing away with tellers sometime in the near future. If I want to do bank business, I will have to do it on my cell phone, home computer or through their automated tellers. Just think what fun that will be when I may have an urgent question or issue?
Seeing fewer cashiers at the stores? Who needs people working for a living when there’s self-checkout! Load all your overpriced items yourself and follow the automated machine’s instructions to complete the transaction. At my local supermarket the other day, a few of the cash registers were open and they had long lines, so I used one of the automated machines. I encountered a problem and had to hunt down a store employee, who was busy helping another patron. I stood waiting until she was free. That certainly made my shopping experience easier and more pleasant.
Isn’t it so much easier now to look for a job? Downloading your application often doesn’t work the first time and if there’s a required question you don’t understand or doesn’t apply to you, that’s just too bad. Even better, many of the job ads are not even worth the time crafting a cover letter for because they only land in cyberspace and is seen by no one. Just think about all those hours wasted.
On my street young children often gather to play ball in the street. What a pleasure it is seeing children meet together for actual human contact. Most are holed up in their homes communicating via cell phone or playing fantasy video games that encourages social skills (I’m being facetious here.).
And don’t forget the social media giants who are now controlling what we are allowed to say and think. Who needs independent thought and opinions in the age of technology when if you voice a statement that does not align with the powers that be, you can get canceled and ostracized?
Yes, we are so lucky today to be living in our great sophisticated world of technology. Who needs the old days when people were treated like human beings, more people were employed, and you could express your own opinion?