Technology...who needs it?

When completing the readings last night I was having an interesting internal debate as a business teacher who uses technology every day. How can you tell when you use technology to much? As many of the readings pointed out a good starting point is when technology becomes a deterrent to getting work done rather than assisting. If you can’t go a day without send/receiving a text then there may be a problem. I know what most of you are thinking a whole day, hell I can’t even go an hour without checking my phone, and many of you less than an hour. Would everyone think back to the time before you had a cell phone? What the hell did your thumbs do all day? But on a more serious note how in the world did you survive without it? When you wanted to talk to some you have to use the archaic land line and if they weren’t there, oh no, you had to wait until they called you back. I think people used to have a lot more patience not because they were better people but out of necessity. Kids (and many adults) have grown so accustom to having the answer to any question at the tips of their fingers, it’s no wonder these students can’t sit through a 50 minute lecture. They don’t have the ability to wait, if the answer is not there within seconds they wonder why the computer is so slow.

Now there are some advantages to all this technology, but when technology begins to control me instead of helping me, I look for the nearest pond to chuck the darn thing into. As I’ve gotten older I discovered one reason I enjoy playing golf so much is being outdoors away from technology. I can hear birds and smell the fresh cut grass and not have answer any emails or return any phone calls (because my phone is turned off and in my car).