Technology–Unintended Consequences


While Skeeter, an outside assistive device, gives me increased mobility, the app-loaded smartphone is my primary handheld device.  They are my friends. I love them. They've changed my life.  Being inanimate, they are impossible to offend.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  I confess to being an above average, but still average, technology groupie.  There are many people who are more or less so and I'm not even talking about the professionals.  I love getting handwritten notes and cards.  I would send them if I still had the ability to write beautifully, but I don't.  I can, however, stay on top of current technological advances and consider myself an 'early technology adopter'. 

New technology can be like the friend you enjoy and value, but occasionally apologize for.  Certainly computers, smartphones, tablets, and apps benefit many people, but they definitely can enhance activities that were once either difficult or impossible for people with disabilities.  My current challenge is to be true to my technology groupie nature and avoid being seen as rude (paying more attention to the phone than people, stopping a conversation for a device interruption, etc.).  Even with speech slurring, I can dictate a text faster than keyboarding. For me, speaking in public comes with a huge risk of being perceived as rude.  I don't intend to slur or speak too loudly, but I am concerned that I am seen as being inconsiderate of surrounding people.

Our devices provide access to huge amounts of data anytime.  I just need to remember I can find answers to my questions.  I also need to learn to be discriminating and skeptical—there's a lot of crap information out there.

Between Mail, Messaging, and What's App, I can maintain contact with family and friends whether they're in the same house (a bit ridiculous) or a different part of the world. The immediacy of contact is a big improvement over the past, but I need to learn not to pout if I don't hear right back.  Not everyone has their device glued to their ass and may actually have other priorities.

The app Translation does help me avoid being the Rude American (doesn't everyone speak English?)  It's not perfect, but it's not bad.  The biggest upside for me is that the phone speaks my message, so I don't have to think about what slurring sounds like in another language.  The Mexican yard crew understands what I need, the Chinese restaurant owner thinks I'm at least trying to be courteous, and the Vietnamese woman who does my nails doesn't laugh. 

I know Find My Friends and Map My Ride are creepy .  They are threats to the remaining privacy I didn't willingly surrender long ago. Earl knows how close I am to the house (that's reassuring), I know where he is when he's out on a bike ride, and I know where family members are at Disneyland.  I do have to ask permission to follow someone, they can say 'No' or 'No longer', and I'm not miffed when I'm cut off.  True, Earl and I had to give up having affairs and robbing banks, but we're adjusting.

I used to say I wasn't much of a shopper.  But that was before Ebay, Amazon Prime and Free Shipping came into my life via computer and smartphone.  Add those to friends who shop for me and I'm a dangerous woman.


Not all technology is computer–based.  My car has a backup camera that allows me to appear to be a better parker than I am.  Texting and driving is not a hazard for me.  I don't even change radio stations on my short, familiar driving routes.  All the new safety improvements are wasted on someone who only watches the road or can't carry on social conversations and drive a car simultaneously.

I personalize/personify my phone with pictures and custom ringtones.  Not only do I know who is calling/texting, but I can see them as well.  Herein lies another 'rude' potential.  My ringtones are most often songs from the 60s and 70's.  They have some connection to the contact and they speak to me.  However, they don't speak to everyone and I need to make more frequent use of my silence button.

What does the future hold for technology?  I have no clue.  Hopefully, it will include longer battery life for all devices.  Fortunately, advancements are way ahead of the limits of my imagination.  They may allow people to drive, live, and work longer, but I'm not certain if that is an upside or downside. I want my future to hold more mindful, more human use of devices.  It's an ongoing process, but being a tech junkie, it's not looking good.

The lesson:  There is an app for freakin' everything, but I don't need to get the latest and greatest device right away—I can wait.  Is now OK?  How about now?

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