Do we take it all for granted?

Why thank you. Yes, that is a new look I'm sporting. Fetching, isn't it?

I was going to save today's blog for a movie review, but as we aren't seeing anything until later, I think I'll save that for tomorrow.

I'm here to talk about technology. I was inspired by a recent YouTube video recommended to me by a Leaky friend. Check it out first, then I'll lay some thoughts down.



Now, this man has some excellent points. We do take a lot for granted these days. Are we too cavalier about technology? Or is my generation simply used to it? Is it okay that we're used to it?

A lot of questions to ask I know. Let me just share a quick story. This afternoon, I was writing a chapter summary for Leaky (my online bookclub) in Firefox. One thing led to another, I accidentally hit the back button and - boom - all my work done just as I had finished. Rightly so, I suppose, I was quite angry. Frustrated. Throwing things. You know, mad moment.

But in retrospect, should I be? I mean, I was typing something, online, to be used in an online bookclub, in which I communicate with hundreds of people from all around the world, all while sitting at my desk.

Whoa.

That's amazing. Just to be doing all that is quite phenomenal. So, should I be angry when the technology that allows all this to happen doesn't work quite right?

Now, I know that guy up in that YouTube video has a good point, and maybe we shouldn't take technology for granted quite so much. However, it is something that is in our lives to stay, and we're used to it, so maybe we do have the right to be frustrated when it doesn't work.

After all, back in the days of rotary telephones, as Mr. What's-his-name up there was saying... if they had malfunctioned, people probably would've been frustrated. Would they have been thinking of the miracle that is a telephone call anyway? I don't think so.

I think it's human nature to become accustomed to the technology that surrounds us, to revel in it, and take it for granted. Sure, we shouldn't waste too much belly-aching over it, but I don't entirely think we should be blown away every time a light comes on. After all, we've had electricity for a long time now!

What do you think? Do we take it all for granted? Or do we accept it as a part of our daily lives, as we well should?