Technology Gone Too Far?

The other day I went into the Wilk, ordered a Jamba Juice and decided to visit the restrooms just west of Jamba. Last semester these bathrooms were somewhat ghetto and I would try to avoid going in them at all costs. This semester, however, they have been renovated and could now be qualified as state of the art restrooms. I walked in and saw the new granite counter tops, automatic sinks and soap dispensers and a new invention called the Dyson Airblade: the only hand dryer that literally scrapes water from hands. Very impressive. I was loving these new additions to the bathroom until I got in the stall and saw that the toilet paper dispenser was also automatic. Have we really become a society that is too lazy to obtain our own toilet paper? Have we gotten to the point that the only effort we are willing to put into the task is a small wave of the hand? Wow. What's next? To quote my roomie, "Before we know it there will be a machine that will put us on the toilet." Because heaven forbid we walk and squat. Don't get me wrong, technology is great, but there comes a point where I think we've gone to far. Automatic toilet paper dispensers is far past that point.

This single event has got me thinking, what is technology really doing to the world? Don't even get me started on the communication aspect of it. We are getting to the point that people don't even know how to carry on a conversation unless it's through a text or facebook chat. I'm guilty of participating in these conveniences, but come on, lets just pick up the phone and give the person a call. It's so much more personal and will actually let us practice communicating. What kills me the most is when two people are sitting side by side and rather than turning and speaking to each other, they converse through texts. I honestly think that facebook chat and texting will be the downfall of the world. I give it ten years before the majority of the population is unable to carry on a conversation in person, or even over the phone. It scares me. Real bad. Technology is incredibly convenient and I appreciate it, but I think it's a dangerous convenience. Just now I've decided I'm going to cut my time on facebook chat down immensely and texting is going to become more of a convenience rather than a necessity. If you'd like to talk to me, give me a call or come visit me face to face and we can have a real conversation. I'm boycotting unnecessary technology; for a few days at least. Let's be real though, if you text me, I'll probably text you back. I don't have enough self-control to eliminate it out of my life.