I am all for gifts from technology and modern medicine that alleviate suffering. My washing machine and antibiotics come to mind.

Let’s look at 5 examples of “progress” that may not be up to the hype. When I use the word “we” of course I include myself.

Cellphones

Imagine a time when the only telephone available was a landline tethered to the wall. Now picture it sprouting little legs so it can travel. The phone now follows you everywhere – to your car, to weddings and funerals and even to your bathroom. We would feel like we were being stalked. Now picture your cellphone. The only thing missing are the legs… Robo calls are the cellphone equivalent of junk mail that calls you.

Self-checkout

Quite the timesaver, no? Except if you are buying produce. Find the picture or spell the name of the fruit or vegetable. Too many choices. Large? Small? Organic? Or buying wine, some glues and medications. An attendant has to come to you to check your ID for purchase. Help is on the way!  

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Calling your cable provider? Get comfortable. Choose from multiple voice menus to get to just the right person who can help you. Listen to an annoying loop of being told how important your call is. If I am so important, why do they keep sending me to their website while I am on hold? Frustrated, I go to their website, but the chat representative there is only a bot and I am told to call for “more” assistance. 

Trash

Our trash has trash. Of course, recycling can be worthwhile, but how much time do we spend sorting? We need additional plastic bins, more trash trucks to collect it and then where does it go? If there is no stream for repurposing it for another life or the bin is contaminated by mixing types of recyclables, isn’t it now traveling trash? On the second leg of its journey to the landfill?

Emoji’s

Before email, picture writing a letter and ending it with a cartoon. Maybe you were displeased with a service, so you add Grumpy from Snow White at the end. And who knew that poop would be illustrated with eyes and be an acceptable shorthand in a text message? Anyone who has a cellphone has access to thousands of cartoons/emoji to choose from, but the cute little poop is one of the most easily recognized.

Junk Mail

Who doesn’t love getting mail they don’t want from people they don’t know selling stuff they don’t need? Think of the amount of junk mail that has to be recycled after the post office has spent time and energy delivering it. In an election cycle, the number of glossy, oversized postcards flying through my mail slot is the worst yet. Each political party has decided I am a voter who can be swayed by their unwanted, unnecessary, wasteful junk mail.

Writing about all of my frustration is giving me a headache. I think I could use the Infra-Red from my picking days.