If you are reading this, you are into technology, but how much? A few years back, when I began teaching the young adult Sunday School class at our church, I was a bit taken back by how few actually used much personal computer technology. While I am now using my fifth laptop in eight years, some in our Sunday School class are still using the same machine they bought eight years ago. While I figured that our class of young adults would be more into e-mail exchange and using a web-site dedicated to our group more than our seniors would, the opposite has actually proved true. A large number of our young adults do not regularly check their e-mail. Some may be more into text-messaging on their phones, but this is a small percentage. Yet, a very large portion of our seniors keep up with their e-mail throughout the day and are intimately addicted to cheesy forwards of funnies and “send this to 30 people or your computer will crash” hoaxes.
This may be changing now, however. It appears that the 30 somethings in our group are less computer driven than the 20 somethings. This younger group is becoming more involved in My Space accounts and what I would call, the cotton candy of the Internet world. These younger ones are more likely to correspond with me via e-mail and text-messaging. A few of them keep their computers on for more than an hour a day (I confess, mine is on and in use some ten to twelve hours a day). I also realize that Hemet, California, is not known across the country for its technology driven workforce, but more for its senior-only mobile home parks, Meth labs and dairy farms. Our little “culture” here may attribute for a bit of the technological haze among some of our folks.
I admit that I sometimes go overboard on trying to keep up with where technology is going – yet again, I am always amazed to talk to or read from real techno-geeks who live and breathe this stuff. Honestly, I’m not really into keeping up with technology. I am very interested in reviewing technology that will assist me in my personal productivity.
All of this to say, I found THIS article intriguing regarding a recent Pew Research study on technology use among Americans.
“The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that adult Americans are broadly divided into three groups: 31 percent are elite technology users, 20 percent are moderate users and the remainder have little or no usage of the Internet or cell phones.”
Among the “high-tech elites” are sub-groups:
“¢ “Omnivores,” who fully embrace technology and express themselves creatively through blogs and personal Web pages.
“¢ “Connectors,” who see the Internet and cell phones as communications tools.
“¢ “Productivity enhancers,” who consider technology as largely ways to better keep up with their jobs and daily lives.
“¢ “Lackluster veterans,” those who use technology frequently but aren’t thrilled by it.
“The Pew study found 15 percent of all Americans have neither a cell phone nor an Internet connection. Another 15 percent use some technology and are satisfied with what it currently does for them, while 11 percent use it intermittently and find connectivity annoying.”
I am quite sure I would fit into the “Omnivore” category as I write this blog on one of my three computer screens with my Treo 700p plugged in beside me at the foot of my laptop running the latest Windows Office suite and eight different programs currently running on my task bar, let alone double that many in my “start-up” tray – oh, and also my IPod that I use in the car, at home and at the gym to keep up with the 19 different podcasts I follow on my ITunes software.
So, where would you find yourself and why? How much of this technology is actually a distraction from more important and perhaps helpful disciplines in the Christian life, say, reading books, prayer, community fellowship, etc. Technology can be a wonderful tool and an even more dangerous enemy to our soul if we are not mindful of the more important priorities. Also, what does it say about me and the culture I live in when I am following over 100 RSS feeds every day in my thirst for knowledge (I watch very little TV) and listening to far more sermons than I can apply, etc.?
I know what is saying right now? I need to go read and do some writing on a number of more important projects than this measly blog post.
Now… if you were really into technology, you would have titled this “R U N2 Technology?” You know shortening those words saves so much time! Actually… I hate most internet shorthand… I prefer actual words and get annoyed when people don’t use proper grammar either. I would also consider myself an omnivore.
Bret, you constantly amaze me. The discussion on technology is truly on the mark. However, in today’s world, one must become reasonably computer literate in order to function and communicate in the intellectual world. As an instructor at the college level, I find that all of my students use computers. As a senior citizen, I would say that at least 50% of seniors are very computer literate, perhaps because they have more time to spend with their computers. This I find, as with myself, most of us seniors were over 50 years old before we began using computers.
Have a wonderful day…………ED
Ed, you are exactly right and bring up an interesting point I did not readily consider or communicate in the post. Many of the 30 somethings who don’t seem to be much into the personal computer scene are also not too much into the academic scene. I am sure there is a correlation.
Those in the academic world and those who are engaging in discussions on the intellectual issues of our world and age are those who tend to utilize more personal technology. Today, I am quite sure virtually every post-high school academic institution requires computer and internet technology for writing, research and communication.