Just a casual meet over waffles and ice-cream on a Friday night. Topics flew randomly around education, generational gaps (strawberry, durian,… yeah it was fruity), etc. Plenty of good discussions, and even more laughs. With the IT guru amongst us, the convo slowly moved towards app development and the ideas that were behind some of the awesome apps that contribute to the convenience of mankind.
What price, convenience?
Of course there were silly ones, like the device that to cheat the pedometer on your mobile phone, just so you can “clock” your daily 10K steps. It is named “creative” on Amazon.com, and I guess I have to give it to the inventor for that. And it is kind of decorative. Aww but guuys, c’mon – DON’T. Yes, the weekly rewards (the kind of that boosts your vitality ;-p) are attractive. But isn’t the bigger purpose about staying active, getting healthier and keeping fit?
There was also the Tinda Finger that “lets your finger rest, and autonomously swipes away in search of your future spouse or late-night booty call”. Geez. What, are we now getting concerned about straining our fingers? (Note: Digital disabilities which are pain and injuries due to chronic use do exist. But more on that another time.)
Has technology driven us to get this lazy? What happened to going out for lunch: taking a short walk (even if is to the car), stepping out for fresh air, socialising with workmates, instead of relying on food delivery.
I feel a part of this also reveals the detachment from living. Instead of allowing yourself to take in the sights and sounds of the surrounding, people-watch, let your senses deliberate on the food choices. We seem to prefer to browse and decide based on visually-attractive food pics, make online payment and collect it from the recept after. Just short of feeding ourselves electronically?
Let your fingers do the walking
Who still remembers this slogan? (On the side, I am surprised to find that they are still surviving today despite the prevalence of Internet search engines and online directories.)
We can’t forget the ad slogan and walking fingers logo. On the other hand, do you think this slogan embodies our lifestyle today: allowing our mobiles to invade our lives, forgetting to be mindful and be in the present for ourselves and the people around us.
Don’t get me wrong, I am extremely grateful for technology to assist me in so many ways of my life. Class registration can be done in merely a few clicks without having to handle cash or head to the CC counter. Every week a single broadcast message on WhatsApp informs my Aqua Zumba students if the session is on or cancelled due to weather one hour prior to class. Quarterly newsletters blasts via email update subscribers of the latest fitness news and upcoming classes. Not to mentioned of course, our daily diet of social media that we can no longer do without.
Apps = “… designed to perform a group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user.”
Source: Wikipedia
We should be reminded that technology and apps are meant to help us save time, only as a capable tool and trusty personal assistant. To free up precious time through automation to allow us more time for other things. Never allowing it to rule us or take precedence over the more important aspects of our lives such as friends, family and our aspirations; to find true meaning and purpose in all that we do.
Agree? 😉