Whether or not you own an iPhone, I’m sure you've heard the
womanlike voice that responds to your every command.
“Siri, find me the nearest coffee shop.”
Not only does my phone know where I am, but it can now
respond to me within seconds with the answers to all my questions. Well, maybe
not every question, but why not try?
But at what point does the automated voice on the other end
of the conversation turn from helpful to just downright creepy? Self-checkout
offers a convenient way to get in and out of the grocery store fairly quickly. The
weird part comes when I swipe my magic plastic card and a female voice reminds
me to grab my receipt.
Someday people are going to say, “Back in my day there used
to be this thing called a cashier. And this person would checkout your
groceries while making small talk over things like the sale on sweet corn or
the snow storm headed our way.” I pray it won’t be followed with by “Now you
just swipe your wrist under the scanner, and it draws from your account.”
But who knows what will happen? We are moving away from the
personal exchange to a life operated by machines. It’s unlikely we’ll ever have
barcodes tattooed onto our skin, but at this point I’m starting to think
anything is possible.
Whether it’s your phone, the self-checkout machine, or the
ATM talking back to you, think about the purpose they are serving. Are these electronic people are a step
towards a better future or are they just another step toward a society that is
completely reliant on technology?
These innovations may have created many shortcuts for us,
but will these time-savers leave us with more time to improve society or more
time to play on our phones?
Interesting topic, I agree that I think sometimes our use of technology is a little excessive and that there is a delicate balance between when to rely on technology and when human connection is necessary. Good point.
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