Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Maturity v Convenience

Once again, I see that Americans are not ready for the technologies we employ. I can't speak for other nations, yet it would not surprise me to see similar or accelerated versions of what I speak of here. What I speak of is the volatile relationship between how fast technology develops and the proper use of said tech by humans. To illustrate, consider Moore's Law. This principle states that the speed of computers doubles every 18 months. That 3.4 Gigahertz computer you bought at the start of 2006 will be 6.8 Gigahertz by July of 2007! The size of these computers grows smaller, to boot, making portability an increasing possibility. More power, smaller size, more things you can do on the road. I carry a Dell Axim x50v, which is perfectly able to manage not only my contacts, calendar, and to-do lists, but also pictures, audio, and video files. My wife is awaiting her iPod shipment, which will consolidate and make mobile a large portion of our multimedia collection.
+ There is a problem when mixing people and peripherals. Like anything that can be used for good, there is a way to abuse it. A lack of maturity is increasing as these newfound devices discover new roles. Take, for example, the Playstation Portable. You can game on the go, which I find very appealing. The device also plays a small form movie disc and can be connected to a PC to play audio and video content on the road. People are taking this device and using it to store their porn collections so they can indulge wherever they are. It isn't enough to surf indecent content from home, NOW you can take degrading pictures and video to SCHOOL under the guise of a gaming system.
+ The push to consolidate to an all-in-one device is getting stronger, as Microsoft is partnering up with other companies to create the Origami (2)(3)(4), a voice, video, network, audio, video, and organizational tool. Apple also has a patent or two for new devices in the same vein of thought. How will those devices be used?
+ These devices are not inherently terrible, but the immaturity of a nation makes it a bad idea to allow them to handle the technology. Do you hand a gun to your three-year old? You and I BOTH know the FIRST thing he will do is look right down the barrel. Stupid? Immature. You may think I am exaggerating, but studies show a large amount of criminally convicted citizens have a history in pornography. (Beware what you surf from that last link). Do we hand a means to people who are thinking about negative ends?
+ You can't pose a problem without a solution, right? Hmm. The world is not going to stop producing devices based on maturity of users. I find the only solution is given to us from God in the Bible. If you are not a Bible fan, consider the words of Galatians regardless. I know I am not invincible or perfect. I recognize this and it makes me stronger in my struggle to protect my mind from the deluge of trash out there. Just that simple knowledge can make a man out of a baby and keep the gun pointed in the right direction. I keep telling myself "I am in the world, but not of it".