Tags: Technology. Lifestyle.
THE GOOD – THE BAD – AND THE DOWNRIGHT DISGRACEFUL
The Good. As we all know, modern technology makes it easier to perform the everyday tasks that we face in our busy lifestyle. Right? Well, nobody can deny that with the availability of services such as internet banking, online shopping, access to government facilities including Centrelink and the gathering of information through search engines including Google, we can certainly accomplish much more without leaving the comfort of our own home.
However, whilst this is certainly an asset to those of us who not only have some degree of computer literacy but also own a computer or have easy access to one, people who do not come into this category, (and there are quite a few,) are being more and more disadvantaged as technology progresses further.
The Bad. There are many areas in which modern technology has become a curse instead of a blessing and the first of these is the stress that is faced by the senior members of our community when the bank where they have been going to for years suddenly pulls up stumps and says, goodbye. Not only are these people left inconvenienced by being unable to go into a branch and deal with a person, they either have to either enlist the help of someone in order to carry out transactions that they may feel uncomfortable disclosing to a third party, or they have to learn to operate a computer or similar device or travel to the nearest branch which may be some distance away.
Playing games on a computer has replaced time spent outdoors.
This can present some difficulty for those who have limited mobility such as having to use a walking frame or wheelchair. I guess the simplest solution, therefore, would to change banks. Still, on the subject of the bad, there is little doubt that technology has to some degree been responsible for the increase in the number of people who are overweight or even obese. Children are less likely to play outdoors and instead prefer to play games on X-Box or Playstation and with the convenience of online shopping, if we so desire, we can purchase almost everything we need from the comfort of our recliner and so by eliminating the need to walk up and down the aisles of the supermarket or other stores.
I see that there is now an App on which you can purchase a brand new Holden Commodore from home. Just where will it all end! The Downright Disgraceful. Although some of the above situations could possibly be regarded as disgraceful, what I feel is one of the worst results of advancing technology is the ever-increasing examples of it being used as a way to rip people off, either by scams that originate in foreign countries or by the accessing of personal information that allows thieves to take what is not theirs.
We can purchase almost anything from home.
As a way of making readers aware of just how easy it is for someone to steal either money or property, I will list a few of the known instances where technology has resulted in theft. While a car was parked in the long-term section at an airport, thieves broke into the vehicle and, after accessing the owner’s personal information through documents such as registration papers, they stole the remote garage door opener and accessed the house, removing anything of value.
During her time at the local supermarket, a woman had her handbag containing her phone and wallet stolen from the trolley. A little while later when she called her husband from a public phone to tell him what had happened, he said, “I got your text asking for our pin number and I replied straight away.” The woman went straight down to the bank and was told that all the money had been withdrawn.
The thief had used the stolen mobile phone to text “hubby” from the contact list and got the pin number. These events are happening all the time so we need to be really conscious about how we protect our personal details and, as technology becomes, even more, smarter, so then will the criminals of this world. As I have said, this is downright disgraceful.
https://thebribieislander.com.au/the-history-of-time-science-and-history/