I know it's a trite title, but deal with it.
I think our generation (meaning generation x and generation y) are going to lead the technology backlash. I know this may be hard to believe coming from somebody like me, but I think it's coming.
Recently, I was down in Austin staying with my friends Matt and Andrea for an extended weekend. Trips to Austin are very relaxing for me, and give me a chance to reconnect with the Texan in me. I do love that hot weather, the BBQ, and the Mexican food. The Texas friendliness and laid back life style isn't bad either. It's a great place to be.
One morning, during my visit, I got up and sat on the couch in my friends' living room. I didn't turn on the TV, I just kinda sat there and relaxed and waited for my friends to get settled and come talk to me. From the kitchen, Matt asked, "You want some coffee?" "Sure!" I replied. About 10 minutes later, Matt asked, "Milk and sugar?" "Just milk," I replied. Matt slowly walked my mug over and handed it to me. I gracefully removed it from his hands and took a cautious sip, not knowing how hot it was. What happened next surprised me: it was the best coffee I'd ever had.
"What kind of coffee is this?" I don't even remember what kind he said it was, but he followed it up with, "I made it in our French Press; it makes better coffee."
Holy crap was it good. Of course, I had to go home and purchase one of these devices for myself, and you better believe I did. I'd never seen or had coffee from a French Press before, so this was a totally new concept for me. This experience, along with a few others lately have made me start thinking about the value of "real." It sounds abstract, but it's not. I'm not really an abstract kind of person, so I will make this very concrete for you. Bear with me just a second, while I set it up, and then bring it on home for you.
In our modern society we have all these things and devices that keep us connected electronically. In addition, we can have anything we want almost immediately. You want pizza? 30 minutes. Wii game that is out of stock? Amazon's got it and will have it on your doorstep tomorrow if you order in the next 35 minutes. Old lunchbox you had when you were 5? eBay's got it for $19.95 with the thermos included. The problem with having everything on demand is it's not fun, and we don't appreciate it. Plus, finding your old lunch box on eBay isn't a very interesting story. What happened to endlessly searching for and old Atari game or Star Wars toy at garage sales and antique malls? Part of the fun of finding something like that was the search! Plus buying it on eBay doesn't give you that human interaction that a garage sale might. It's just a transaction.
Our fast paced society has deprived us from the joy of cooking our own meals, and sitting in your living room and listening to an entire album from start to finish. Or what about taking a walk through a park and smelling real flowers and trees? I can't tell you how many deserted parks I've been to lately. Parks are free and quiet! There is some real value in taking time to appreciate this wonderful world God has given us, and not toil and fret about eating, or shopping, or cramming everything into your day. I retrieved my Dad's old record player from our basement last week, and I have made it a point to start listening to albums and not just songs. I'm also going to start baking my own bread, and taking more walks.
I've been horribly guilty of filling my life with crap and busyness. I'm want to break the cycle and spend more time enjoying the world around me. When I get home, I'm gonna make myself some coffee and listen to Led Zeppelin II.
My Friends
My Other Blogging Effort
3 comments:
I agree with you, Tim! I've become super interested in cooking and baking, and I have really enjoyed cooking things from scratch. And it really does taste so much better. Anyways, if you're going to start bread baking you need two things a good oven stone (http://www.amazon.com/Old-Stone-Oven-14-Inch-16-Inch/dp/B0000E1FDA) and this book - http://www.amazon.com/Artisan-Bread-Five-Minutes-Revolutionizes/dp/0312362919/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241534060&sr=8-1 - the title is a bit misleading, but the breads are just amazing.
Hmmm...I agree there will be a backlash, but I wonder how much Gen X or Y will contribute to it, or will it be a Millennial generation effort.
As we become parents with our children in school, our wish for less technology may change. Parents today are able to keep up with children's grades via constant online updates, and are as demanding as ever that their child be safe. Will we push aside those advances?
Doubtful--we'll probably want our schools to teach children to both value a life without technology, AND to make sure our children are receiving nothing less than the most up-to-date exposure to technology possible. We'll want it both ways.
Technology may be pushed aside in the area of convenience & entertainment...to a point. We won't go back to using huge, 100-lb microwaves that take six minutes to make popcorn. We won't go back to Atari except in an ironic sense, sadly. Analog television is gone.
But we have something to learn from our grandparents. We need to know how to fish, do yard work ourselves, make games out of an empty refrigerator box, and play outside. Today's children are inside all the time, playing video games and texting their friends.
We have an uphill climb here.
Gotta agree with J on this one.
We're definitely going to make some strides to get back to our roots a little bit more. Because a LOT Of things have become soulless with all the technology/packaging around them and lose their essence. However, on other levels (mainly on information/entertainment) we will never go back to where we once were.
A few things that I think will definitely change:
1. Attitudes towards sprawl. People will want to start protecting more of the country-side that we have left.
2. Food:
At all levels we're going to want to move more towards dirt-to-table (e.g. homemade bread, veggies, beer, etc)
3. Local Newspapers:
People enjoy reading the local news on paper...there's just something that the internet lacks. But no need for local papers to publish info you can find more and better of elsewhere.
Essentially you'll see a move from a lot of sub-cultures pushing for more authentic experiences on all levels, but some things we will also want NOW. Everything will have to be a balance. Workplace will largely be NOW, and homelife will become slower to counter the speed of the world.
But that's just my 2 cents.
Post a Comment