In the November 9Th issue of The New Yorker, Nick Paumgarten writes of the recent Northwest Airlines flight that overshot it's destination (Minneapolis) by one-hundred and fifty miles because the pilots were busy accessing their laptop computers to look at the airline's new crew flight-scheduling procedure. Paumgarten very wittily mentions communications scholar Marshall McLuhan's (photo at right) prediction that technology would sharpen our senses. I suspect McLuhan never considered the possibility of bus drivers texting or talking on their cell phone while trying to steer a bus (I have seen this!)
While I am in no way an opponent of technology I think we need to understand that in many cases it has become a severe distraction instead of a useful tool. McLuhan was correct in his assertion that technology changes society, but the change is not always an improvement. In many cases it isn't even an issue of safety but one of effective interpersonal communication. For example, how many people have been having a perfectly delightful conversation with someone who just has to stop to take an important call? How many of us have forgone calling or visiting an old friend because it is just easier to send them an email? I realize my outlook seems cynical but it's not all bad. I can't imagine what it might have been like to complete my Master's thesis without a computer and access to hundreds of scholarly articles via the Internet and my university's library databases. I would have gone nuts!
Technology can be a wonderful thing if we use it--and don't let it use us!
On a humorous final note, Paumgarten goes on to tell a funny story about a burglar who decided he wanted to log on to his facebook profile while he was still in the home of one of his victims--he forgot to log off before he left, which was actually pretty fortuitous for the homeowner. It did make it quite a bit easier for the police to find him. Everyone can be distracted by new technology, I guess!
While I am in no way an opponent of technology I think we need to understand that in many cases it has become a severe distraction instead of a useful tool. McLuhan was correct in his assertion that technology changes society, but the change is not always an improvement. In many cases it isn't even an issue of safety but one of effective interpersonal communication. For example, how many people have been having a perfectly delightful conversation with someone who just has to stop to take an important call? How many of us have forgone calling or visiting an old friend because it is just easier to send them an email? I realize my outlook seems cynical but it's not all bad. I can't imagine what it might have been like to complete my Master's thesis without a computer and access to hundreds of scholarly articles via the Internet and my university's library databases. I would have gone nuts!
Technology can be a wonderful thing if we use it--and don't let it use us!
On a humorous final note, Paumgarten goes on to tell a funny story about a burglar who decided he wanted to log on to his facebook profile while he was still in the home of one of his victims--he forgot to log off before he left, which was actually pretty fortuitous for the homeowner. It did make it quite a bit easier for the police to find him. Everyone can be distracted by new technology, I guess!
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