I am back from my trip to Minneapolis. It was a pretty smooth trip. My old car held out, and we made it back safe and sound.
Before I went on my trip I bought a new laptop computer. I had good intentions of writing my blog when I was down there but I never got around to it. Although I choose not to write my blog, I did have the option of writing my blog from the convenience of my hotel room. Without the laptop I am sure I would have said to myself "If only I had a laptop I could write my blog." I am not upset with myself for not writing the blog, for I was having too much fun with my little girl, but it was still nice having the laptop. While I was at the mall I also bought a GPS receiver and some trip routing software. I have been to Minneapolis several times and I really didn't need the GPS, but I was nice having it in case I got lost. Technology these days seems to be more about convenience than necessity. I see one big difference between technology in Heidegger's time and now. In Heidegger's time technology such as the hydroelectric power plant served and continues to serve society well by making electricity affordable, and available for everyone. (But at what cost?) Technology such as the motion picture helped the allied forces win the war (Recognition of a Japanese Zero). Today technologies such as GPS, laptops and I-phones are used more for entertainment and to keep us connected. Essentially we can live without the fancy toys but we cannot live without electricity and the technologies of the past. Take away my I-phone but don't take away running water and electricity!
The truth is today's modern technologies are going to evolve into something that we cannot live without. In 50 years from now someone will look back and see the technologies of today as essential building blocks to our new way of life. People managed before hot water was in the homes, but today we cannot live without it. A convince becomes a necessity when we incorporate that technology into everyday use. Network technologies are already controlling heating and air conditioning systems, controlling refrigerators, traffic flow, and making sure our water in drinkable. I am no futurist, but these seemingly innocent entertainment type technologies are going to evolve and control our lives so much that they become necessities.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
Convenience. Yes. I agree. Same goes for 24/7 shopping. Convenience enhances our lives, makes them more pleasurable, better. So then, we can expect that technology should do the same for learning. It does! Students enjoy using it and depending on what is used and how, can learn a lot more in less time. Technology is a way of life, no question. There is though a danger in convenience morphing into laziness or apathy. Why learn the meaning of multiplication when a calculator can do it? I wonder how society would react if we could no longer support the technological infrastructure. Could people adjust to a no gadget world? Can you imagine no TV? What about having to use a slide rule all the time?
ReplyDeleteGreat reflections, especially as you enjoyed a nice holiday. You point out some interesting ideas, you are right a lot of the modern tech gadgets is convenience (well - sometimes I am not sure of that either), to make our lives easier or give us access to things we did not have before.AS we grow dependent on them, they do become necessities. For example I am not sure it would be possible to control air traffic today without computers. It would be a good experiment to think about all the tech we have - what could we do without and which is now a necessity'?
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts there, Paul! As I was reading, I couldn't help but think about the corporate side of what you were talking about. If some of the CEOs of companies read what you blogged about, I would assume that they would be smiling from ear to ear, just like the Cheshire cat. I suppose that what they bigwigs at tech companies hope for is that their product becomes a necessity for life, simply to keep them in business (or über wealthy!).
ReplyDeletePersonally, I've been craving an iPhone ever since they came out, but the necessity isn't quite there, as the side of me that WANTS one hasn't overpowered the side of me that NEEDS one. ... Plus, I'm waiting for my current phone contract to end before I get an iPhone! But on my way back home from my trip, I thought about how I went a week without internet and my phone... it was pretty sweet!
Something else related to convenience and the push of technology in society. I've been going through previous blogs and thinking about past class discussions to get ready for a culminating post. We have covered a lot of ground in this course, and one of the points raised in our discussions was the captivity we can find ourselves in as a result of the convenience we enjoy. We can become slaves to the technology god. Yet, we are in control, for as Mike has said, he went a week without the gizmo world and it was sweet. We need to be ready to lay down the fancy technology, if necessary.
ReplyDeletePaul, I was able to log into the explorelearning site and enter your class. Those are nice tools. Was that the site you fought to have the division support? I can understand why. I had not seen it until now. Looks great. Thanks for sharing!
Yes, isn't it great that we able to keep in touch from great distances, especially when we are away from loved ones. However, I want to leave work at work, university at university and be able to have some piece by not being able to be reached 24/7 - 365. Do people ever leave their work at work now a days? Just a thought.
ReplyDelete