Technology: How much do we want?

Fifty years ago, I took an evening class about computers. Basically, the course was teaching us how to write a computer program. I felt like I flunked. I couldn’t understand the jargon and sure didn’t anticipate the world changing in the field of electronics as much as it has. Never having had a course in typing made computer entries very slow for me.

As an emergency veterinarian, we had pagers, call services and two-way radios to contact me and other veterinarians when emergencies arose. All those items are worthless today with the invention and use of cell phones. If you ask a young person over 18 if they can live without their cell phone, most will say no. Is that a good thing? Isn’t some basic knowledge necessary in all aspects of life? For example, how many people can find their way to a new destination without using a GPS system? How many younger people can read a road map?

My point is, as the world becomes more technologically smart, are we actually becoming more deficient in common sense? Sometimes, I think the decisions being made by food buyers are based only upon advertising. If an ad for a potential type of cheese pulls your heart strings, do you buy it? Did the ad portray all the facts truthfully? Is there truth in advertising?

In an election year, the options for truth are limited. It seems like the candidates with the best public relations and the most money get the most votes. I think an election should be like a job interview. I often wish I could ask candidates some farmer-style questions: “What is your work history after you left high school? What was your first job? Part-time or full-time? How long did you stay with it? Have you ever operated your own business? How long? Were you successful? Do you have a family? Why are you applying for this job? How can you help us in specific terms to make our lives better?”

The list could go on, but I get frustrated because candidates are always speaking in generalities and really don’t know how to help. When I have issues with my iPad, I ask a high schooler. When I say, “Please tell me what to do and I will do it, because I learn better that way,” the response is, “I just need to try something first.” Then, the problem is resolved temporarily, I didn’t learn a thing and they can’t reproduce the solution. It’s like giving someone the fish rather than teaching them how to fish.

I’m the only iPhone user on our farm. It started many years ago because the ability to automatically share info between devices is so easy with an iPhone. I’ve worn out or broken three iPads, and it seems Apple wants to make the devices more complicated instead of easier to use. Not having other iPhone users on the farm makes it difficult when a problem arises.

Now, with the arrival of AI (artificial intelligence, not artificial insemination), does anyone really understand what our communications will be like in 20 to 30 years? Is a robot going to decide a lot of things for us? Will that make humans less dependent upon common sense? Will humans want to do less physical work than they do now and feel entitled to an easy life?

Our farm bookkeeper is also the treasurer in her township. The average attendance at a monthly meeting is about six (chairperson, two supervisors, treasurer, clerk and patrolman). Last week, they had 47 attendees; it was because a construction company arranged a contract with an elderly woman to build a data center on her farm. They wanted public permission to do so. It appears the company had all the legalities correct, but public opinion wasn’t on their side. Is this a case of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) syndrome?

Farmers who were the first to adopt larger herd sizes needed to educate their neighbors that the efficiency of size was a way to survive low prices and give farm owners and workers more time to enjoy life. Will these data centers become good things for our towns? We all need more information and less fear to make good decisions.