Working in retail gives a unique perspective into the lives of everyday people. For the past few years, I have noticed that a large majority of people have the expectation that things happen instantaneously, without any assistance. "I have to pay before this gets ordered?" Unfortunately, yes, a payment is what generates your order. I have been asked this question by multiple generations, so I know this isn't an ideology from back when the mercantile had to order something in. I can only attribute this to our society's microwave ideology.
From all the places I have worked and the people I have interfaced with, I have seen people and their desire for instant gratification. I too have grown accustomed to the fast and easy fix. In a society where we have "free two-day shipping," it is very easy to forget the need to be conscientious about what is going on around us.
Every week, at least once, I walk into the men's restroom and find a sink running. Undoubtedly, this sink has been turned on by an individual who walked away expecting the faucet to stop itself. The mere fact that someone had to turn on the faucet should be the no-brainer sign that it should be turned back off, but because our society is so automated, it is easy to lose consciousness as we go through life.
Alexa has made everything easier; technology is awesome, but when we are so accustomed to what technology does for us that we forget our context, things can get very dangerous. Not all cars can stop quickly and automatically for you when you're a pedestrian.
This past spring, I had a schoolmate who wrote about how technology separates us from our humane self. I too have noticed that people are far too willing to be rude to the voice that they feel is automated. There have been times that I answered a mainline to a customer swearing at me, only for them to apologize, "I am so sorry, I thought you were a recording."
Technology is a wonderful tool, but if we aren't conscientious, it will dumb us down. We will lose our edge, our ability to determine right from wrong, our knowledge to turn the lights on, or even the need to pay attention while we drive. Technology is a tool to help improve our lives, not become our lives.
