45°
I’m beginning to think the act of thinking has become as obsolete as a set of encyclopedias.
After inspecting my flatware at a restaurant one night, I motioned a waitress over to our table and told her I had a dirty fork.
Renee Antonelli Valente
“Would you like me to get you a clean one?” she asked.
What was I to say, but: “No, I don’t mind this one. But I was hoping you could tell me what was dried up on it, so at least I know what I am eating.”
Look, I wouldn’t be picking on them if they merely made a mistake. If the box she thought was a 9 turned out to be a 7, or perhaps if I was ordering only soup, I could understand. But anyone who owns a pair of feet knows the huge difference between the sizes. And the waitress? Out to lunch.
While they entertain the heck out of me, examples like these sadly happen all the time. So much so, it makes me wonder if we are raising a generation of mindless drones?
Think about it. No longer is retaining information, or even committing something to memory, a priority. If we need to remember a phone number, no worries. It’s entered into our speed or voice dialing management system and there it lays in wait.
No use in remembering or retaining any facts: There‘s always Google. And we are no longer accountable for determining our own answer, because Jeeves is just a mere 3G Network connection away.
Plan on going somewhere? Dont use a map, memorize directions, or even bother paying attention to the scenery while driving. GPS will guide your way.
Are we gaining, thanks to our technological counterparts, or are we losing brianpower?
Technology has enhanced the world around us in more ways than we can appreciate. The universe is instantaneously available to us. We can buy items once impossible to find with a few clicks. We can find information on the most obscure of topics. And we can readily communicate with anyone, anywhere, at anytime, via phone, text, and email and video.
But while I love the fact that I can nail the age of an actor within seconds of a “How old is he?” debate with my husband, or that I can surf the web while sitting at my kid’s basketball practice, I still enjoy the charm that going to the library provides, or the wonder in taking those mental notes at the museum that I’ll refer to for life.
Do we want to lose the mental foreplay a 3D world provides — and the thinking that it provokes — in exchange for an informational quickie? Because while it gets the job done, there’s something missing from the experience, and you wind up cheating yourself in the long run.
We need to balance our common sence with our .com’s. Roll up the sleeves of our celebellum, take those handheld devices out of our pockets and put those cerebral chastity belts on vibrate. Do some actual thinking for once.
Maybe even dig up the old set of encyclopedias — you know, the incomplete set we all have in the box with all the old photos and knick-knacks of life.
If I’m really lucky, I might find the “B” volume so I can learn about foot binding.…
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fair Lawn-Glen Rock and receive free news updates.
