Technology: Does it Help or Not?

In less than two years, I shall be 40. While I am enjoying my late thirties, I really try not to do the old fogie dance. You know when we close to middle age folks lament about how things were in our day or how we did things better when we were children. Lately, too many of my friends who are my age are complaining about technology. Whether it's an ebook reader, smart phone, or digital camera, they always have something to say about it even if they used these forms of media as much as I do.

Like most people I know, I enjoy meeting new folks and interacting with them whether it's in person, Skype, twitter, or Facebook chat. I love the fact that now I can interact with people on so many levels in so many different ways. At one time, I too saw technology as a hindrance. I came kicking and screaming into Facebook and I swore never to use Twitter. Yet here I am actually meeting on line folks in person in different cities and loving it. Have there been trolls and folks who look to sabotage a great conversation or debate? Sure there are but there are people like that all the time just go to any lecture or presentation and you will find trolls there as well.

I know for many of us, these new ways of interacting can be strange. I will admit that some of us post some crazy stuff on our statuses. Yes, there is an etiquette on line that people seem to trample on when they have an audience. And yes, there is such a thing as bad parenting and some folks on line go out of their way to show us all that they were raised in a barn. However, I find that most people on line like most people we encounter face to face, are generally good. Yes, even those who drunk tweet on Saturday evenings.

Despite our misgivings about social media and new communication devices, technology is here to stay. More and more folks will shop, date, read, and interact using smart phones and tablets. We are still human when texting. We are still human when Skyping. That is something I know we won't forget. As the years pass and technology continues to evolve, we shall adapt as we have been doing for over millions of years.

Personally, I feel that technology should enhance our interactions. I remember being in the Navy and just able to write and receive letters while out at sea. While visiting ports, we had to find places that charged inexpensive long distance phone rates. We saw our family and friends in pictures and later VHS tapes. Today it is extremely different. When I travel for work, I can video chat with my family. Friends at events I am missing can text me pictures or videos of the event. I can link up with folks indifferent cities via twitter. I can google directions and send them directly to my students with pictures of landmarks and all. I can write a piece and have a conversation with people all over the world within moments. In the mornings, I drink coffee and discuss politics with West Africans. At night, I trade ideas with fellow capoeiristas around the globe. I join in on weekly evening discussions on topics ranging from hip hop to education. I do this with people I interact with on a day to day basis in the coffee shop, barber shop, school lobby, class and at home so the technology I use only enhances and expands that experience.

The problem lies when it's the only interaction we do. Of course, too much of anything makes you an addict. Having strictly on line interaction with folks is dangerous because the expectations and the motivations become fantasy. We can't always have access to what we want at our fingertips. Go to a cafe and see what happens when the wifi goes out. Folks act like there is a tsunami going on. Or when you see people walking and texting when it's a beautiful day. I have witnessed people cussing at their phones while texting on a line in a retail store.

Folks should spend more time outside. People should go for a walk with a loved one. We all need to have at least one conversation with a total stranger in person. We are humans and we need that social interaction. Losing that physical face to face on a daily basis is what scares me. Ultimately, technology should enhance that experience and not replace it.