Yes, I know.
I don’t need to be reminded that technology has lifted us to incredible heights. I benefit every day. Well, most of the time.
And then there are those days when I feel stupid. Here are two examples: smartphones and smart TVs.
When I am stumped on how to make my iPhone do something new and I don’t want to gnash my teeth, I hand it to a teenager. I believe babies come out of the womb reaching for a gadget, crying, “Give me something with a screen!” My generation was lucky to get a yo-yo by the time school started.
Don’t get me wrong. My cell phone gets a daily workout. It’s a phone. An email sender/receiver. Ditto for text messages. It’s a quick researcher for want-to-know information, and it’s a stuff-in-your-pocket camera. But beyond that, I need a teenager to keep me from looking dumber.
You hear a lot about “brain rot” that comes from addiction to internet scrolling of low-quality content. You already know my brain can’t take much more rotting.
And then there are these flat-screen, smart TVs that talk to you when you are fumbling with the clicker. A young friend insisted that I subscribe to YouTube TV. Oh, my.
I am a guy who grew up with three channels to choose from. I don’t need 4,357 choices. All I want to watch is the news, 60 Minutes and a few other programs, ball games, and movies. The rest can’t compete with a good book. In the meantime, I’m not ready to give up. Yet.
And then there are these smart vehicles.
My truck talks to me. It vibrates my seat if it thinks I need reminding. I do like the “smart” lady who lives in the dashboard. I call her Matilda. Push a button on the steering wheel, and she’ll call anyone on my contact list. Hands-free talking. That’s good.
I can also push a button and ask her to play songs of Jerry Lee Lewis, Alan Jackson, Ray Charles or endless other artists. I like that. But what I don’t like about Apple Car Play is that it tries to do my thinking.
On certain days, I go to certain places. When I crank up, Matilda’s friend will flash a message that tells me the specific destination, how many miles to go and how long it will take me to get there. What else does Matilda & Co. know about me?
A popular app these days is Life360. If it’s on your smartphone, somebody is tracking your every movement and possibly how fast you are going to get there. I can see the safety benefits.
Now, baby boomers, imagine Life360 in the 1960s. Your parents could find you parked at The Pig Trail with your girlfriend or boyfriend. But you were supposed to be at a friend’s house studying for a chemistry test. How about that?
Is technology making us smarter?
Yes and no.
When’s the last time you saw a cashier determine your change without depending on a computer? Today, how many people use a road map? Why would you need one with GPS? Good point. But what about the downside and the chance of developing LBS, Lazy Brain Syndrome?
And now there’s the AI (artificial intelligence) rage.
AI is promising to take us to new heights. Absolutely, we need to forge into the future. But how many people will AI leave behind, suffering from LBS?
Yes, I know what you are thinking.
My purported “intelligence” has always been suspected to be “artificial.”
dnesmith@cninewspapers.com