Technology. Can't live with it, can't live without it!

This post is essentially an elaborate rant. At this very moment in time, I despise technology! A little extreme, you may think, but my frustration is certainly justified. Last week, I returned home from the BAPP campus session, feeling enthusiastic and inspired. I opened up my Macbook and began writing a blog all about the session. If you know me, then you know I'm not often stuck for words and writing about the day was no exception. An hour later, I had finished writing a long post about my day on campus and what I had learnt from my tutor and fellow course mates. I re-created some of the tasks we did, I explored the appreciative inquiry in more depth and spent a lot of time on this particular blog. Where's the catch? That comes into the equation when you take a moment to think, that instead of hand written, this work relies on the use of the internet and a computer. Normally, my posts are written, completed and uploaded with no real issues at all. This was not one of those occasions. My wifi at home can be temperamental at times, but all seemed well as I saved my post on completion. I left my laptop to have some dinner and when I returned, my draft no longer existed. "How is this possible?" I said with utter despair, I had even clicked the 'save' button several times to protect myself from this very situation. The internet in this instance had clearly worked against me and despite saving the draft, it had been lost in the gaping hole of the web. The feelings of anguish and frustration were rife and I just couldn't fathom the idea that my hard work could vanish in an instant. My point is, that as wonderful as technology can be, I just can't help distrusting it. Our world relies on the use of modern technology in almost everything, from flying a plane to an operating theatre in a hospital. How can we rely so heavily on something that we can't be 100% sure will work every time? I know I'm talking about the extremely unlikely and you could argue that everything in life carries a risk and a sense of unreliability, but with technology, we can't always be sure it will do exactly what we want.

                                                   

I have had many experiences of technology working against me, but it seems to strike a nerve every time. Maybe it's because it is usually paired with inconvenience, or maybe it is something deeper. I think the advances made in technology in such a small space of time are remarkable. From the moment we wake up, to going to bed at night, we rely on the technological advances of the 21st century to pass our day. This is certainly a good thing, but what happens when it goes wrong? I suppose you could say I'm somewhat skeptical, but I find it hard to comprehend that these devices and systems can be entrusted, in some situations, with our lives. The moment we step foot on a plane, for example, we have to have full confidence in the technology that keeps the plane in the air. We at times struggle to trust the people close to us, yet we fully trust a piece of machinery that can break or shut down at anytime. I think that the direction technology is taking us in is exciting and innovative, but at what point do we start relying too heavily on it and forget to use our own ability? Can technology take over even the most simple of task and make us redundant? All I know is, that when it comes to my posts, from now on I shall err on the side of caution and be aware of the unpredictable nature of the internet.