I fall somewhere in the happy middle. If I read a paper, it will actually be paper because I refuse to pay for internet access on my phone. But I do have a Kindle, even though I'm still madly in love with books. The weight of the tome in my hands, the smell of the paper and ink, the feel of actually TURNING the page...
Was sitting in Eyemart Express waiting for my glasses to get fixed when an elderly man, probably Poppy's age (not that Poppy is elderly, mind you, I'm soooo going to pay for that), sat down next to me and pulled out his phone and started texting. Thumbs flying like a 14-year-old girl, very impressive. He put his phone away after a while and we started chatting about the weather, crazy Texas weather: 72 yesterday, 32 and rainy today, high 50s tomorrow. His phone signaled another text, he excused himself and checked it. After returning the text, he apologized again and said something I hadn't thought of before. His wife, very hard of hearing, communicates better and more confidently through texting than she does talking on the phone. He said a lot of their friends and family have taken to texting as a more convenient means of communicating than calling where they'd have to repeat themselves over and over. We started talking technology, I told him about Baby Queen's iPad with the Autism app that allows her to communicate, and he told me his brother used a similar App after a stroke left him unable to talk.
About this time, my glasses were done; I said goodbye to my new friend and left with a greater appreciation of technology. But I still believe there is nothing better than a good book and face to face conversation with good people.
Excellent! Using technology to better their lives, instead of using it to determine their lives. As it should be. Make it work for you, not own you.
ReplyDeleteI love having a book (dead-tree) handy, and always have two in my backpack at all times (mostly history books, and I've been caught flat when the last quarter of the book turned out to be indexes and appendices and maps and such), but have also discovered the joy of the Kindle app and the occasional free Kindle-version promos from Amazon and Baen Free Library. Plus, there's a Kindle app for the desktop, so if I get a book that's well written and engaging (currently reading Matthew Bracken's "Enemies Foreign and Domestic", which was free last Monday...book two is free next Monday, and book three will be free the following Monday...the first is excellent, though, so I'll probably end up buying the dead-tree series to loan out and help support the author) I can continue reading in larger font and without draining my phone battery. Otherwise, my 'Droid...well...it makes phone calls. Occasionally.
Technology, for all of its wonders, is going to be our undoing. Humans are not responsible enough to have the technology we are developing.
ReplyDeleteDavid Martin