I love tech gadgets, like my new phone, but I know that technology is allowing me to become dumber and dumber.
From an early age, I decided learning complex math was ridiculous. Calculators are everywhere and cheap to buy. So I didn’t need to worry about crap like this. Complex math could be done with simple tools on the computer, so once that was all available on the web (as the web became more available) I gave up on that garbage too. I’m pretty bad at math now. I don’t really care about this. I always say that if I’m in a situation that requires complex math and there is not a computer anywhere to be found, there are bigger problems to solve.
Later, I got my first cell phone and subsequently started forgetting phone numbers. I didn’t have to remember them anymore because my phone kept all that for me. This worked out well, until my phone died and I didn’t even know the Mrs phone number. Shit.
Browsers started offering to remember passwords for me, and I started forgetting passwords. There are still accounts I can’t pay because I’m locked out and if I’m going to call them, I’d just as well pay on the phone and move on. The same goes with email addresses. I’m hard pressed to think up some emails, because I just start to type a name “Phil” and Google offers back “[email protected]” and I’m set.
Last year, I got a GPS device for my birthday which prevented me from having to learn my way around the new area we’d moved into just a month prior. I didn’t have to remember any directions, just punch it in (off a note or a text message) and just try to pay attention long enough to get where I’m going. This resulted in missed turns when I didn’t pay attention… That’s just sad. I also keep addresses in that, so I still can’t say what specific town some people live in.
This year I received a smart phone for my birthday. Now all of my modern conveniences are in one place. This one device keeps me from having to know your phone number, or even the proper spelling of your name. I don’t have to spell my messages correctly, or know where you live to get to your house. On top of all that, it keeps me logged into most sites so I never have to re-login and it saves the info, just in case.
I’m also terrible at remembering names. If we meet somewhere and I forget your name, please don’t take it personal. I really do like you and shit. I just can’t keep names straight, ever. Now what I need is face recognition on my phone and an excuse to hold up my phone to someone before saying hi.
Does anyone else suffer from this, or am I the only one letting tech take my brains?