Am I a neo-luddite?
For somebody who makes a living working in hi-tech, there is a remarkably long list of modern technologies that I avoid using: cars, TVs, alarm clocks, VCRs, voice mail, painkillers, antibiotics, microwaves. That said, I do use computers, a cell-phone, the Internet, climate control, electric lighting, trains, aeroplanes, a digital camera and a hi-fi system, so I'm not all that much of a luddite.
I was just wondering what it is that makes me embrace certain technologies while shunning others. I think I tend to be attracted to technology that is useful without making me lazy or annoying me. I find that owning automobiles tends to make people dependent upon them to the point that they start using them even when it would quite reasonable to walk or bike. Similarly, painkillers (and alarm clocks) allow people to temporarily circumvent a biological message but it is too easy for us to fall down the slippery slope of using them on a regular basis to avoid the warning signs of unhealthy lifestyles. And easy access to cable TV encourages people to absorb information through a media filter without thinking about or questioning it and this information then silently shapes their perceptions of the world. VCRs and voice-mail, on the other hand, are just too complex for the utility they provide; that's why I use email and DVDs instead.
I was just wondering what it is that makes me embrace certain technologies while shunning others. I think I tend to be attracted to technology that is useful without making me lazy or annoying me. I find that owning automobiles tends to make people dependent upon them to the point that they start using them even when it would quite reasonable to walk or bike. Similarly, painkillers (and alarm clocks) allow people to temporarily circumvent a biological message but it is too easy for us to fall down the slippery slope of using them on a regular basis to avoid the warning signs of unhealthy lifestyles. And easy access to cable TV encourages people to absorb information through a media filter without thinking about or questioning it and this information then silently shapes their perceptions of the world. VCRs and voice-mail, on the other hand, are just too complex for the utility they provide; that's why I use email and DVDs instead.