Technology has always been empowering, but these days it's more of a necessity, that is unless you want to feel like a Luddite.
I should know, because I'm a technology laggard, which is a technical term (ironic, huh?) from the diffusion of innovations theory (Rogers, 1962). The theory explains how an innovation gains momentum within a particular social system. Laggards are the last among five categories of innovation joiners leaping on to what has become a slow moving train well after the innovators and early adopters have already begun to make some gadget affordable and understandable.
It's also ironic that this theory is about the momentum of accepting new innovations. I don't think that I've experienced technology momentum, ever. There's simply a small victory, like learning another way to delete a message, followed by a period of no-new-learning.
I wonder why. I like technology, and feel depressed being left behind. The worst part is the language. Obviously, with new stuff comes new language, and when you don't know what people are saying, it's like never having seen that movie that just won multiple Academy awards. You're out of it (meaning I'm out of it).
I think that my problem is the frustration. In fact, technology seems like guaranteed frustration. Who wants to encounter frustration, particularly in the early part of the day? I guess that I need to keep in mind that feeling of ebullience when something goes right. It's triumph over luddite-self.
I'm terrified that, instead of daily runs at questions like how to rig my phone to hear a podcast in the car, or syncing my phone and computer (see, I told you a was a beginner), I'll keep at the same repetitive tasks that I know I can accomplish (clean kitchen, grade papers, etc.).
No! I'm determined. More to come.
Rogers, E.M. (1962) Diffusion of innovations. NY: Free Press.
