This is why I detest modern technology....

[gtaus]

Old guy rant coming up, just had to vent...

I think lots of modern technology is destroying our society. Maybe I'm just getting too darn old. But here are my rants....

First of all, I will state that I have not always been anti-tech. I have been programming computers since the late 1970's and hold 2 degrees in computer science and information systems. Most of my early college education was heavy into computer science. Along the way, I also became a certified A+ technician and built and serviced computers. I always enjoyed it.

Something has changed with tech today, and I don't think it's just me that is questioning the direction of our society. So let me rant about just a few things that really bug me, in no particular order of importance.

- Not to be sexist, but I have been run off the road and into near collisions with young women who are texting/talking on their cell phones instead of paying attention to their driving. You used to have to worry about intoxicated drivers after closing hour, but nowadays, you have to worry about young mothers picking up their kids from school. I don't think the fines can be too heavy for people who are texting/talking on their phones instead of driving safely. Somebody needs to wake them up. Again, my encounters were all with young women, but I suppose men could be equally as distracted when on the phone.

- I was out at a restaurant the other night, and many people are either talking/texting on their phones, or worse yet, letting them ring and bothering everyone else who is paying for a enjoyable night out. I don't care to hear constant telephone ringing in the background and people sharing their private conversations with everyone else in the restaurant, I would rather have stayed home and ate my dinner in front of the TV. At least my chair at home is comfortable.

- A few months ago I was at a family gathering at my relative's house. All the "younger" people were just sitting on the couch staring at their cell phones and texting someone else. In my time, behavior like that would have been considered very rude. Someone invites you to their house and you just sit there and text someone else?

OK, turning a bit political and don't mean to offend anyone, but here goes.

- Vaccinations. I have many friends that get all their "medical" news from Facebook. None of them consider taking the COVID vaccination because someone, somewhere, reported that they had a bad reaction to the shot. They are full of Facebook medical wisdom and ready to share it with me. Really? Why did I waste all those years in Nursing school to get my RN degree and license? I could have just sat at home and read Facebook all day. I tend to think of myself open minded towards alternative approaches to medicine and care. It's part of our nursing philosophy. But I'm waving the caution flag (I wanted to use stronger language) on these Facebook treatments. Thank God that we did not have a Facebook educated population when the Polio vaccination was being distributed early on. We might still be actively fighting Polio yet today.

- Facebook, in general. For years I have been anti-Facebook because I thought they were destroying the fabric of our society. Recent Facebook whistleblowers have come forward and brought to light just how bad it is. Facebook will do anything for profits, and if that means hooking you into a bunch of nonsense and lies just to keep you clicking on their platform, they don't seem to have a problem with that. I know many people who refuse to watch news on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, or even Fox news now, because they think everything is a lie. Boy how I miss my evening news with Walter Cronkite and what we regarded as mostly unbiased news reporting.

- Other social media. As you can tell, I'm not much into social media. But recent reports of how damaging some platforms on social media is to young girls body image is alarming to me. As an RN, I have treated a number of young women who suffer from Anorexia and other eating disorders. Along with that, I have treated some young women who suffer from body dysmorphic disorder, where they focus in on perceived flaws or defects in their body. From what I hear on the news, social media is only making things worse for young women.

OK, if you have made it this far, let me end a more positive note. Recently my bank (non local) switched over to making deposits by scanning checks in via smartphone app. I only had a landline until a few weeks ago. I never cared about getting a smart phone for the many concerns I have expressed. But, my landline phone cannot scan in checks and therefore I was forced to get a new smartphone to do my banking - or sending checks through the mail which was not my desire. I also ended up signing up for a Facebook account so I could get the free Messenger app to make "free calls" to friends and family. I don't use Facebook, but my family calls me on Messenger. When I cancelled my landline telephone, I also cut the cord on my cable TV. I kept our internet service, but everything else was cancelled. I don't expect I'll use my new cell phone anymore than I did the landline phone, so I just bought a Tracfone with 1500 mins and 1 year of service. Dear Wife got me the phone from QVC. Anyway, it was $80 for the phone for 1 year of service, but I am saving over $90 per month by having cancelled my landline phone and cutting the cord on the cable TV. I am now saving about $1000 per year. So, I'm not totally against new tech, just much of it and how it's used.

Thanks for letting me rant.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Feel free to rant any time, my friend. I'll listen. I agree with you on most of this. But will say that I see just as many men texting while driving. Up here, it's often guys driving work trucks. I'm sure it's work related, but on these windy foothill roads, it's bad juju.

I get grumpy about tech, too. I try to look at it as a tool. Young people often don't know how to manage it yet. It frustrates me, too. I am a high school teacher. I teach juniors and seniors. I let them keep their phones and tell them to "manage their tech." We have talks about when it's appropriate to use their phones and when it's not. Many really haven't thought about it.

I also try to put myself in their shoes. Would I want to text my friends ALL THE TIME when I was 17? Heck yes, I would. Would I rather do that than talk to my family? Sure, sometimes. I'm trying to look at the big picture and think about the long term. I have no idea where things are headed. These are uncharted waters. It'll be interesting to witness, and it may not be pretty. But humanity is relatively unchanged, so I don't think it means the end of the world like some people I know do. I could be wrong, of course....

But I appreciate your POV and your openness.

 

[cavemanrich]

gtaus​

Consider getting a VOIP telephone service. You may be able to still retrieve your landline number and use it on that account. I use Magic Jack, and kept my old landline number. I keep the service for those that may pop up and reach out to me from long ago, and only know landline home number.
Initial cost includes the device plus one year of service. Then I renewed service for like about $100 for five year period.
Don;t hold me on the prices,,, it is what I paid a while ago. Vonage,, a voip service is somewhat higher priced, and I do not see any advantage with them.

BTW I am one that has no desire to have Facebook. .. But I may change my mind in future. I like the video chat feature it provides on my computer with others. I know I can do similar with Zoom, but its slightly more involved. Free version limits you to 40 minute cycles.
I did like Skype,,, but when microsoft took it over,,, pretty much shot it down for personal use,, as I understand it.

 

[gtaus]

But humanity is relatively unchanged, so I don't think it means the end of the world like some people I know do.

I don't think it's the end of the world. But it is changing in ways that I don't think are good for us. I'm at an age where I don't maybe accept the changing of some of our previous norms. No doubt, a 17 year old might rather be texting a friend than spending time with family at an event. I just think it's pathetic seeing a bunch of kids, sitting on couches, texting friends, and not even talking to their cousins of the same age. Not even talking to the cousin they are sitting next to on that couch.

No doubt men can be just as distracted if texting while driving. In my case, it has always been young women on their phones. One young woman actually drove me off the road as she veered into my lane of traffic. I called 911 on her because I was not the only car that hit the shoulder of the road to prevent an accident. Too bad I did not have a dash cam to record her license plate number.

Another time a young lady on the phone blew through a stop sign and pulled a left turn in front of me and the other oncoming traffic in a 55 mph speed zone. We had about 4 cars locking up their brakes to prevent that accident and the young lady just drove through the intersection talking on her phone like there was nothing else in the world that mattered.

And as to Facebook, as an RN, my employer told us not to even think about using Facebook because a number of nurses had been fired for content on their Facebook. If someone posts a question to you about a patient, or even makes a comment about someone who might be a patient of yours, you can be fired. You do not have control about what people may say on your Facebook, but you can be held responsible and fired if there is any question about patient confidentiality.

But, I'm not totally against modern tech, like I said. I am forced to do my banking online and make my deposits via my smartphone. In some ways, things are better. I don't think I'd be able to communicate with the BYC forum via mail.....

 

[Aunt Angus]

I didn't mean to insinuate that YOU think it's the end of the world. I hear that from a lot of other people - even young people - who think social media is going to unravel all our social fabric. I didn't get that vibe from you at all, so I am sorry if I didn't make that clear. I really think you hit a lot of proverbial nails on the head in your "rant." This obsession with these things are still in its infancy. The pendulum has swung really far in that direction. It will be interesting to see if it returns to center.

 

[sourland]

Sad but mostly true.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree with most of what you said.
However, I'd change banks if it was necessary to use a phone to send checks like that! And I'm not doing Facebook, or Meta, or whatever it calls itself. And I too have had interesting experiences with idiots on their phones while driving, both sexes.
Mary

 

[gtaus]

I didn't mean to insinuate that YOU think it's the end of the world.

It's all good. I was not taking it personally, just responding to your post.

 

[gtaus]

I agree with most of what you said.
However, I'd change banks if it was necessary to use a phone to send checks like that! And I'm not doing Facebook, or Meta, or whatever it calls itself. And I too have had interesting experiences with idiots on their phones while driving, both sexes.
Mary

Thanks for the comments, Mary.

I am a member of USAA banking since I was in the service 30+ years ago. I live in Minnesota, but the USAA bank is down in Texas. USAA has been pretty good to me, so they remain my main bank.

I used to scan my checks in on my desktop scanner for making deposits to USAA. But now they only take those deposits via their mobile app on the smartphone, which scans the front and back of the check. So I had to get a smartphone to make my deposits, or I have to send them in via the mail. The new mobile app is actually easier to scan in the checks, so I am not complaining about that app so much, but rather that I had to get a new smartphone to do it.

I do have a local account with Wells Fargo, but I don't have much good to say about them other than they are local. I only keep a small account open with Wells Fargo in case I need to get cash for something. And yes, we were victims of the Wells Fargo bogus insurance accounts and credit cards showing up on our monthly statements. Fortunately, I caught on to those scams and got my money back - even before they had the class action suits filed against them.

And yes, idiots on phones while driving can be both sexes. I just have had many more recent close calls with distracted people on phones than I ever had with intoxicated drivers back in the day. Based on my personal experience, I think it's getting worse out there on the road.

 

[Sequel]

I share your concerns about how tech is harming our society. I see people waiting to turn left out of Safeway texting. It’s like you were just in the parking lot! Why wait till you’re making a left turn???

I have a very dear friend who treats the phone as a holy object. When we go to the feed store or out for lunch she’s on the phone at least half the time whether she’s driving or not! It drives me nuts! I think it’s rude too but she doesn’t realize that.
Social media etc…I’m a worrier by nature and have lost sleep over that stuff. It is my fervent hope that along with tech in classrooms there will be education on how to tell news from propaganda.