Technological Burden

So, four years ago I bought a brand new Dell Computer. I was so excited because I had a very old Mac in my room which was not serving the purposes I wanted. I spent $850 on this computer, a reasonable price for a 15-year-old I would say. Well, my mother decided she wanted to have a better computer downstairs for her use as well (and, her typical use on the computer is to check email and sign-up for the Keith Urban fan whatever). Within two weeks, we each had a new computer coming to us, and a week after that, wireless internet hooked up for them both.
It was not long after this that I decided I should have talked my mother out of this purchase of her computer. I didn't know how to tell her but she did not know how to use the computer as well as she thought. She called my downstairs one day and told me the Internet was broken. I looked at her with one of those my parents don't understand anything looks and she told me that the site she wanted to access--hotmail--was not allowing her on and that meant the Internet was broken. I told her that hotmail was a site and that is not what controlled the functionality of the internet. She, of course, being the mom, tried to convince me that I was wrong. Easily, I logged into facebook and proved to her that I knew more about technology than she did.
It seems funny, when you think about it, that everyday functions are now being done by the computer. What once took hours now takes seconds. Communication is at the push of a button instead of the end of the Pony Express. The older generations do not have the same grasp of technology that those under 20 or 30 have. It is all to do with how they grew up.
For instance, if we look at my mother, a computer was introduced to her at the same time it was to me. Since I was still in school and was young enough to grasp the concept, this modern device came easily to me. My mother, not so much. It is not easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
Would it make sense to sit down with every adult and teach them these technological advancements? Probably not. Some, given time, can come to solve the basic problems, but most cannot come to understand all of the keys and functions without step-by-step instructions.

If one thinks about it, it will not be long before our generation is too old to fully comprehend all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Technology is constantly changing: Hybrid cars, GPS, ect.

Soon, the world will be run by computers. The movie iRobot gives some depth on this idea, as does Eagle Eye. Both show the burden of having technology that is too advanced for its human counterparts. If this result will ever happn, no one can be sure, but soon, all the simple jobs will be gone. Education will be done by computers and human intelligence will become just that--human!

My mother did not know all there was about her computer when she bought it and we do not know all about the computers we are now creating. Whether there is a connection, no one can say. Just wait and see!

Personally, I cannot wait for super smart computers....ones that will do MY homework for me. :)