The pitfall of the computer (with a technology twist) (long)

Computers were touted as being the solution to many problems. The advertising pitch was "if only we could build a faster computer, we could get more work done in less time." The common saying at the dawn of the computer age is that they would give us more spare time and improve the quality of life. You still hear the occasional "If only we could have a faster computer, we could have been done earlier and had a break." Ahhh the blissful sounds of the misguided and delusional.

The inventions of computers has served to fuel the desires of the greedy and created more work. Rather than being content with global communication happening in a matter of seconds, it must be instantaneous. Rather than being content with having an inventory tracking system, it must be a real-time inventory tracking system. Along the way, with each step, the general thought is "if only I could do this, I'd be happy." However with each fulfillment of desire, desire increases further.

We have seen that computers have not erased jobs from the planet, as some feared. The invention of computers has created a myriad of jobs in the place of those it replaced. People are needed to design, manufacture, service, support computers, write software, etc. However they have had negative consequences as well.

Many people in jobs working with money cannot add or subtract well, or at all. The cash register and calculator have done it for them for so long they either never learned or no longer remember how. Blame it on the public education system, or blame it on the computer. Either way, the computer hasn't helped.

The average American works more hours now than ever before, even though we have computers that can open up our software and do our jobs faster than you can say farfrompuken or fawkingroovin. Rather than be performing jobs that may lend to our social or physical health, we have tossed ourselves in tiny cubicles of only artificial light where we sit all day and gaze at a radiating tube.

While these jobs may allow us to afford many comforts in life, you must ask yourself. Are you really happy? Anti-depressive drugs such as Prozac are proscribed in massive quantities throughout suburbia. Is that happiness? People struggle to enjoy their vacations because they are worried about work. Is that happiness? People cannot even take the time to raise their own children but rather pay someone else to do it in daycare. Is that happiness? If it is to you, so be it. But to me, it's misery.

Plug: look for an upcoming article on the proliferation of technology.

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