Technology - Is life easier with or more complicated

Has technology made life easier or more complicated?

 Ask the question, and you'll get different answers depending on who you ask. Sometimes widely varied answers. The answer from a young person of today as compared to the answer from an individual whose formative years were in the 1950s and 1960s, will be drastically different. Growing up in an era of no cell phones, only black and white television with three channels (color came later on and was a BIG DEAL), family dinners were with everyone at the table, and going to Grandma's house for Sunday dinner. Every Sunday. None of this email to Grandma saying hello or sending pictures to her via Facebook. We got our hugs from Grandma in person, live, and with an added bonus of fresh, hot-out-of-the-oven homemade cookies.

Personally, I'm torn between it being a curse and a blessing. Would I ever want to live without a digital camera for taking pictures? I don't think so. I love being able to see my pictures right away and not waiting for them to be developed, then finding out the one you were so excited to see was blurry beyond even knowing what it was supposed to be.  The convenience of being able to share those photos via the internet is fabulous. It is very cost effective to not have to have them printed and then postage to mail them to family and friends. On the flip side, remember those risque pictures you took way back when? Well it used to be that only the photo guy/gal and the intended viewer saw those. Today that is not so true. A tap on the keyboard/touch screen will send a picture of any sort to the whole world. Eyes that were not meant to see, will see.

Then there's the art of letter writing. When was the last time you got a handwritten letter in a loved one's unique penmanship? It is a lost art with technology. The English language has suffered as well with texting. Seeing 'u', 'i', 'r' instead of you, I, and are make me cringe. How lazy is the person who doesn't want to type an extra letter or two.

Do you have a bundle of letters from a dear friend or loved one? That bundle being tied up with ribbon to keep together all the life stories told in those letters. Most folks do not I imagine. I do though. Stacks of letters. In fact, a girlfriend of 30+ years friendship has every letter I've ever written her. I have every one of hers too. When I went to visit her in Colorado a few years back, I read some of my letters to her. It was like taking a step back in time of my life. Today's generation is missing out on that type of communication. There's nothing like sitting down with a stack of letters and admiring perfect penmanship or marveling how unique we are as individuals with our handwriting. How is your handwriting? Could it use some work? Is it legible? I read somewhere that there was discussion of abandoning cursive writing in schools. Heaven forbid! I hope that never happens. 

Shopping has been made easier with online stores. Saves gas without having to shop around for the best deal. You can make money selling your gently used treasures by posting them on Craig's List. Parents can put tracking devices on their kids and know where they REALLY are and not where they told mom and dad where they are.  We can visit in real time with family and friends who live on the other side of the country or the world. Distance is not a barrier anymore.

I enjoyed reading this article on this very subject: http://www.authorsden.com/categories/article_top.asp?catid=5&id=27919 

This thought provoking article also struck a chord with me. I believe it has made people lazier. Obesity is at an all time high with the young people and it has to be because they're not getting outside and playing, doing actual physical activities. Only their fingers do the walking. Read and see if you see some truth in what the article says. Here's the link: http://justincaseyouwerewondering.com/2011/10/23/technology-has-made-us-lazy-debunking-5-social-media-myths/

Nothing like getting out into the outdoors and taking
in Nature's fresh air from atop your trusty steed.

Speaking for myself, technology makes doing your homework online where you're sitting at a computer screen for hours upon hours. Did I get outside today? Nope. Here I am doing a homework assignment at the last minute while the day up and went. Did I get my walk in? Nope. I'd like to blame that on the computer, but the truth there is my incentive for taking that walk had to cross that dang ol' Rainbow Bridge last week. Having a dog that begs to go for a walk gets you away from technology and back to good ol' Mother Nature. Now that .... is ..... a good thing.