#technological dependency

[cybersidskegg]

Algorithmic Complacency

[zzkt]

How I Gave Up Alternating Current

I buy my staple food online like a civilized person. It takes me mere seconds to order enough soylent for a month, and version 2.0 does not require any preparation, so I got rid of my noisy blender. At less than $2.50 / meal it also saves me loads of cash, and I appreciate the use of more soy and less rice, finally bringing a nutritionally optimal PDCAAS score of 1.0 while improving the taste and especially texture. I also think it’s crazy cool that some of the ingredients are made by algae rather than water-guzzling pesticide-spraying farms. [...] I enjoy doing laundry about as much as doing dishes. I get my clothing custom made in China for prices you would not believe and have new ones regularly shipped to me. Shipping is a problem. I wish container ships had nuclear engines but it’s still much more efficient and convenient than retail. Thanks to synthetic fabrics it takes less water to make my clothes than it would to wash them, and I donate my used garments.

http://robrhinehart.com/?p=1331

[absurdlakefront]

Brick

Earlier today I was using my phone and it shut off with no warning.  Now it won't turn on, won't charge, won't soft reboot after removing the battery, and has generally just become a brick.  I am hoping I can take it to the phone repair tomorrow and it can be fixed or I just lost all my phone contacts and a whole lot of pictures, recordings, etc.

I have to change phones in Korea in a few weeks, but I don't want to be without a phone for my last two weeks nor buy a new smart phone for just a couple of weeks of use.  Also, I wanted to have my phone available as a second smaller computer to use on wifi while in Korea until I had my phone there figured out.  Poor timing.

[angrybean-blog-blog]

I don't know about you guys but at the moment I'm a part of the financially-challenged demographic because health insurance is stupid. But that's not the point of this post. The point is that I thought it would be a good idea to purchase Minneapolis's public WiFi to get some interneting done on the cheap. Anyway now I find myself making plans like, "Well, it's Thursday afternoon so I bet if I start downloading this movie now we can watch it on Saturday night... Are we free Saturday?" It reminds me vividly of when my family first got dial up and I had a geocities page and put all sorts of dumb things on it and there was no Google. My movie is downloading at .9kB/second, cool.

[dwahlicious]

Technological Dependency

Let's see how it feels to be without a smart phone when you might have like 25 people trying to contact you. Ahhh piece of cake... yeah no... not having makes you realize that most of us are all TOO dependent on our phones. But, I'm truly thankful it's not lost. 

[cedric5296-blog]

"There is a strong tendency, especially when technologies are new, of change that humans have little power to resist" (baym 24)

" 'connecting with one and all in the electronic ether could leave people more disconnected than ever before, as the necessity of face to face contact diminshes" (Baym 37)

From the Baym article and the youtube video one is able to see the impact that social media has on individuals as well as a community. In the quote taken from page 24 of the Baym article one reads about the lack of resistance one has to new technologies. There is feeling that one needs to connect and conform to society, and if one does not do so then he or she fears being left out of the loop. By not resisting new technologies individuals are becoming more disconnected from reality. They are no longer living life to the fullest rather they are consumed by social media. They are no longer fully enjoying the moment as the youtube clip suggest.

While there are individuals who fear not being connected the individuals who are able to avoid being fully connected and avoid new technology are more connected to reality. They are able to live their life to the fullest and make meaningful truthful and real relationships. 

In closing,  I believe that a proper balance is key. One's life should not be consumed by new technology i.e. social media; however, it should be balanced. There is something to say about a face to face encounter. It also is not bad to be update with technology but do let it run your life because it can be destructive.