Today's technology still amazes me. I spent the last five days serving as a marshal at the Crowne Plaza Invitation at Colonial. If you watch the end of the tournament on TV, yes that was me standing behind the 17th green. Even while on the golf course I could check my email, keep track of the tournament scores and text members of family. The later was helpful since at various times they were on the course and wanted to find me. I've gotten accustomed to the convenience of digital world. As one who used to carry around a Daytimer, I appreciate benefit of having my personal calendar available electronically. I have stopped carrying a Bible when I make my rounds as a hospital chaplain, preferring to use the Bible app on my smart phone. When it comes to research, I can sit at the kitchen table with my laptop. I still read the newspaper for more detailed coverage but most news comes to me immediately via my cell phone.
We should not be surprised at the changes. According to an article recently published by The Pew Research Center it was predictable. More than thirty years ago the Institute for the Future, a silicon Valley think tank, produced a report of the impact of electronic information technologies. What is stunning is how right-on the forecast was. At that time there was no world-wide web. The Internet did not exist but its ancestor, ARPANET, did. Fewer than three hundred host computers, mostly at universities and government agencies, were part of the network.
What were some of the predictions:
A blurring of the lines separating work and home: "The person who works at home via an electronic system is not bound by the eight to five schedule that bind the person who must work with people or machines at a common site," the report notes.
Fragmenting of traditional media: "It is possible to custom design news bulletins limited to only those topics the average householder reads or is interested in."
Privacy concerns: "At the same time that these systems will bring a greatly increased flow of information and services into the home, they will also carry a stream of information out of the home about the preferences and behaviors of the occupants.
Additional forecasts that were on target with things like electronic banking and the availability of
on-demand media. The report also recognized that there would be new kinds of electronic relationships. Decades before Facebook and Twitter, someone knew they were coming.
The bottom line is we should not be surprised at the changes the digital age has brought. We are naïve if we think we can resist change or even deny it's existence. Instead we need to embrace it and view it as a way to relate to each other, especially the younger generation.
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