For Want of So-called Technology, Will You Be Stuck on the Same Floor?
Escalators were once known as moving staircases…hold that thought.
It never ceases to amaze me that the pundits, analysts, and the DIGIBABBLE crowd still opine on topics like:
TV: Do you watch TV? Do you watch it on your laptop, iPad, Smartphone, on a large screen, or maybe projection? Are you like Apple who touts Apple TV, or do you think TV is only broadcast that you view on a TV screen that no one watches while everything else is a function of device and platform? (Wrong there…Amazon, Google, and Meta all advertise on it…)
Phone Calls: Do you still make them? I’ll call you…Apple gets this one too…like TV, they have a phone, although it’s obviously so much more…but who cares how you make the connection and if I can see you too…cell, land, or web…it’s OK to call…and call it a phone, smart or otherwise.
Does anyone remember the BlackBerry? Do you remember the day it blacked out? Where were you and what were you doing? More importantly, what did you do?
Bottom line, when Apple introduced the iPhone, their “commercial” was all about the phone and the emotional connection of “Hello-Hello.” Worst comes to worst—if everything else fails and you can’t figure it out—you can still make calls…and connect—not their primary message, but true nevertheless.
This got me thinking...
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What are we so dependent on that we have lost our ability to do without?
An important question as we face natural disasters that neutralize our technology…not to mention war and terror.
A number of years ago, as I’ve reported before, I facilitated some strategic sessions for an important global consulting firm. The audience for each of the six facilitations were senior partners. One talked about how she could not function in her job without her laptop—literally. In other words, her value was based on her ability to use technology. The other partners were silent and a bit embarrassed. They were all about their intellectual capital, not the tech…which was, of course, an enabler…huge one…but we can function in a pinch without enabling tools, that’s what makes us human…no?
Put yourself in that discussion. Imagine in your life—home or work—what you really need to function; what really defines you and what can you do without or use in another way to accomplish your goals.
Think on this:
“I like an escalator because an escalator can never break, it can only become stairs. There would never be an escalator temporarily out of order sign, only an escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience.” —Mitch Hedberg
For my money, I want to be like an escalator…while you wait for the elevator, lift, or transporter to be fixed…I’ll be on the next floor.
Your thoughts?
Marketing Specialist
2 年Thanks for sharing
Vice President Security @ Galaxy Entertainment Group | HKSAR Medal
2 年Saw an interesting quote the other day, "we panic when we drop our mobile phones, we laugh when our friends fall down". Sadly true. Smart devices used by less than smart people, now that's the real irony.
Freelance Translator @ Free Lance Translator | Translation, Language Services
2 年Pen and paper will do the job. Nothing compares to a handwritten text. Love letters used to be so romantic and private, almost hacker proof. Have you watched “IL POSTINO”…?
Medical Director @ Removery | Anesthesiologist, B.C.
2 年As always, a thoughtful and even entertaining post! Most recently, I find using GPS to be so Easy and Convenient, that I rarely use maps. Not that I have lost that skill, but even my wife asks me why I look at Google Maps before heading out on Recreational Trips. My concerns are more about the Gen X, Millennial and Gen Z, folks now coming into their Mid 20's. Many, if not Most, would really struggle to read a standard road map.
Realtor Associate @ Next Trend Realty LLC | HAR REALTOR, IRS Tax Preparer
2 年Thanks for Posting.