You know those questions you’re asked by your friends that you really don’t know the answer to? Inquiries such as, “What time does Zaxby’s close?”* or, “What is an off-lease computer?”** I have one answer to these types of questions.
“I don’t know. Google it.”
You, see, my entire life I’ve been so thankful to live in a technology-driven age. During the Industrial Revolution, that might have not been such a wonderful thing if you weren’t an aristocrat, what with being forced to endure the most appalling work conditions known to man. But today, with updated labor laws (at least in the US) and the choice to enter other industries than manufacturing, I can say I feel blessed to have the benefit of technology.
I know everyone wants to pull the “technology is evil” cliche, but the way I see, technology is like everything—yes, everything—mankind places its adulterated hands on. It can be used for good and evil. I choose to look at the good.
One of my biggest pet peeves? That most people don’t.
I’m not saying I’m surrounded by gloomy, morbid pessimists who spout technology’s evils like a religious nut, but most people I know live in oblivion toward technology’s bravura. I’m talking about the everyday, seemingly insignificant conveniences we’re afforded, like finding answers to those pesky questions our friends inexplicably believe we can answer.
Just the other day, I was speaking to a friend at work about renewing her car tags, since I just went through that annual experience about a month ago. She asked, “So what time did you wake up to get to the tag place?” It took me a moment to answer, not because I was shocked or didn’t understand her. I was confused.
The tag place? I understood what she meant—the horrible office, located who-knows-where, that handles tag renewals. I just didn’t understand why she presumed I would ever step foot in that dreadful government edifice. Why? BECAUSE WE HAVE THE FREAKING INTERNET!
When I got over my initial obfuscation, I just said with all the insouciance I could muster, “I did mine online.”
“Oh,” she replied, perplexed. “You can do that online?”
I wanted to smash a brick into my forehead. I know we’re talking about the government, but seriously, it’s 2013! Why wouldn’t you be able to do some menial, otherwise time-consuming task online? If these roles were reversed, my first question would be, “What?! Why can’t you just do that online?” It’s practical, quick, and you don’t even have to shower and dress, or, better yet, see all those people you don’t want to deal with.
Almost any question, routine task, or fleeting curiosity can be completed, answered, and laid to rest via the Internet, and with smartphones enabling a world of knowledge in our palms, it’s never been quicker or easier! Just like the time my brother-in-law John and I were trying to figure out how to remove an alloy tire from my far-too-complicated German automobile. Our first idea: look it up on our phones. We had the answer in about a minute.
In the same vein (and discussed in part two blog posts back), I am perplexed at why we have to make phone calls. Text messaging is quicker and, typically, more convenient. And printing things—oh my word! It seems in the professional/business realm, printing every stinking page you produce electronically is a necessity. I was so relieved during my internship my Senior year when my boss, Alison Lebovitz, turned out to be as tech-aware as myself. I still remember the Tennessee Aquarium Board meeting I attended with her when upwards of three handouts were passed around the table.
“Can we get all this in an email?” my boss asked, iPad on the table in front of her while the handouts were shoved aside—right in front of me, as if to say, “Type this out in an email and send it to me if you have to. I DON’T WANT IT!”
Now, I understand some people are old-fashioned, and to each his own. Just don’t expect the world to slow down while you flip through your hardback dictionary instead of using a convenient app. Now if you’ll excuse me, dinner’s calling, and I need to Google the nearest sit-down burger restaurant.
*Zaxby’s typically closes at 10:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 9:00 p.m. Sunday.
**An off-lease computer means a company leased a computer to a company, it was returned, and now they are selling the computer.
