Archive: Opinions

71% of American adultss say that technology has improved their lives according to a Harris poll released early this year.  28% said they could not live without Internet access.  26% said they could not live without their mobile phone.  24% said they could not live without a computer.  23% said they could not live without television.  20% said they could not live without sex.

12% of U.S. adults said they could live without sex for a few days, and 19% could live without their phones for a few days.  58% said they could forego sex for a week or more, while 51% could live without their phones for that long.

What?  Technology is more important to Americans than sex?  Evidently it's true.  Some good news for real life relationships: 45% said they cannot live without their spouse or significant other.  And only 7% couldn't bear life without social networks.

My beef is that people seem to think their phones are more important than other people.  I remember visiting relatives where everyone in the room except me -- three generations worth -- was busy tapping on their phones, iPods or computers.  I felt lonely even though I was surrounded by a lot of people that I thought liked me.  I told my kids to put down their devices and interact with each other.  "We are interacting with each other, Dad," they told me.  "We're playing an online game together."

They were sitting on the sofa not more than two feet apart.

I am actually not that much of a social person.  I could probably be a happy hermit if my wife didn't point me out the door to be with other people.  And I do love gadgets.  But when I am with people I like to be with them.  I like to talk to them without the aid of silicon and wifi and touch screens.  Sometimes it is nice to touch another person.  It is agreeable to look someone in the eye and argue some obscure philosophical point, or hear people laugh at your jokes rather than tapping 'LOL' on a device.

By the way, how many people do you think are really laughing out loud when they type 'LOL'?  I think there is a lot less laughter in the electronic world than people would have us believe.

Humorously, 73% of U.S. adults said they could not live without food.  (I am L-ing OL at this... or am I?)

That leads me to wonder how the other 27% are living long enough to enjoy their technology.  One company figured out a solution for these people: you can get an iPhone cookie cutter for $15.99 and bake cookies that look like your favorite gadget.  Then you can have your technology and eat it, too.

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