The Fear of Technology ...

There is an interesting (ok, not really ... ) article today on CNN's website that tries to give some kinda of "Technology for Dummies" overview of how technology, wireless in particular, has "changed" and/or will continue to change society. Without being a complete twit, I am always amazed how sensationalist American "main stream" media outlets tend to be in regard to EVERYTHING, but even technology? Being a stalwart American living in Europe, I can't help but gag everytime I read something from American "main stream" (read, idiotic and generally misinformed ... among other things) media ...

Europe has been much more wireless than the USA for at LEAST the last 5 years, and I just don't see people addicted to the internet (minus freaks like me, that I digress) ... "shooting up" on every corner wherever a Wi-Fi hotspot can be found. Currently, I have a PDA with Wi-Fi and a mobile phone with a GPRS connection, which means I can get pretty fast to very fast i-net access almost anywhere in the Czech Republic ... I tend to check my email if I'm out for more than a few hours and I'm standing around waiting for a Tram or something, but I just don't see it. The problem isn't really technology, the problem is a sedentary life-style. Americans are just fat slobs who generally just sit around around watching TV (if you think it's just the USA, however, think again .. most W. Europeans are even bigger, so don't believe the hype) ... at least in the CZ, people are out always playing football (Soccer), or something ... they just don't watch TV like Americans.

Of course, I won't get into the details of why I think Amiks watch so much and are lazy (overworked, under "vacationed", and over consumed???) ... but these articles from outlets like CNN just tend to reinforce the idea that Americans really DON'T know anything, since they never pay attention to anything beyond themselves.

Now, don't get me wrong ... Technology DOES have a sort of crippling effect ... if you want to read how Technology has changed the human soul, check out Ernst Juenger's Storm of Steel ... I won't spoil the book. But, think of it this way ... today, some over-weight slob jamming away to 50-Cent can be eating away on a Subway sandwich in some control room 500 miles away and completly BLOW to smithereens a group of ancient Arthurian knights on horse back (if they existed), whose every ounce and fiber of existence was to be honorable and chivalrous. I think that makes my point ... obviously, we all know which side you'd WANT to be on in your sub-conscious, but let's be serious -- nobody wants to take a 500lb. laser guided bomb for the team.

Anyway, I'm a bit off topic now -- but, I think you get my point -- technology has its goods and bads, but in the case of this article, it's nothing but fish-wrap (in regards to the scare mongering).