My Look at Technology

It was sometime during the Clinton Administration when I concluded the helicopter jus’ might be to my generation what the gasoline powered automobile was to our grandparents. Both were around when we were born and both have become vital to our society within our lifetimes as the technology advances.

At the time of writing that, the Internet was jus’ beginning to take hold around the world. In fact, not only have computers improved, so has the Internet.

When I finally invested myself in the understanding of this burgeoning technology, there was but two ‘search engines,’ available: CompuServe and America Online. And honestly, until Yahoo, Google and Bing — neither were much in the way very good at ‘searching the net,’ rather they were more for opening ‘chat rooms’ and such.

Also jus’ starting to find its place in society was the cellphone. Though I had seen one back in the early 80s and even owned a so-called ‘Brick,’ I didn’t have an operable one until 1995.

Today, cellphones are not only smaller than the palm of one’s hand, they are prolific. Even many homeless people seem to have cellphones as well.

There are some days I’m left to wonder — do we own this technology, or does this technology own civilization? It’ hard to tell.

With all this said, I still look upon the helicopter with fascination as I do the Model-T. Both are agents of change for their times.

It is with equal fascination that I view both the Internet and cellphone as great equalizer within the bounds of society’s structure. They are both so revolutionary that it is hard to see life without either.

Lastly, as technology finds its way into the weave of everyday life, I cannot even begin to dream of what our great-grandchildren’s lives will be like or what great invention waits their future. For all I know –it could be sticks, stones and the simple foot-fall.