Everywhere we go these days we see what could only be imagined years ago. Technology is getting better and computers run so many things now, that human interaction is getting less and less. Even when it's needed.
Today, I left work early and went to CVS. I picked up some toiletries and headed to the counter. A young woman scanned my items, asked if I had a CVS card and upon my negative response, she scanned the card on the counter. I got my savings and was out in a few minutes. No coupons printed out, no wasted paper. Technology works. Then I went to the gas station. I slid my debit card into the slot and pressed my pin numbers in. The display board said "see cashier inside." I walked in and he reset it. I did it again. Same message. He then reset the pump and he did it and pressed credit card. I said it was a debit and he said "oh sometimes that doesn't work?" Hmm? I then headed to my bank to make a withdrawal. I saw some woman in front of me getting frustrated and then it was my turn. I noticed they had installed a new machine and it gave me all the familiar choices and then said "want a receipt or not." There was no button I could press to activate an answer. The touch screen then started to flash a message saying if I didn't make a choice in 30 seconds my transaction would be terminated. So I cancelled it and went inside. Inside I filled out the paper withdrawal slip and signed it. I handed it to the cashier and she told me I needed to swipe my card. What? Didn't I just bypass the machine where you swipe your card? I did so and she then handed me the money. No big deals, but it seems to me it's a lot easier when there is some human interaction, even though it seems to me, that even when there is, we're made to use some sort of computer.
Most supermarkets now have self check-out. The idea being that people don't have to wait in long lines if they have a couple of items. Problem is, you inevitably end up with fewer cashiers and people checking out hundreds of items. Plus, they pay someone to watch over these special lines. These people usually are about as sociable as an agoraphobe and about as helpful as a certain female body part on a bull. Not to mention these machines are incredibly sensitive and the average person is as intelligent as a head of lettuce. My apologies to lettuce for the analogy. It just seems that the more technologically advanced certain things become the less productive they are.
On top of all the problems these advances cause the one that can most easily be measured is unemployment. For every thousand EZ-passes given out, there is another job lost. For every checkout line that disappears, so does someone's salary. For every automated teller machine there is one less living, breathing and smiling teller. For every online movie ticket purchase there is another ticket taker sitting at home. It's gotten to the point where the jobs being made obsolete are the ones that made us feel good. Someone couped up in a booth giving us a smile and telling us to enjoy our day. Someone bagging our groceries and making small talk. Someone paid to rip our ticket, maybe a child, maybe even someone who has some learning disabilities, but goes home proud at the end of the week because they have a few bucks they earned. Maybe all these tiny technological advances aren't all they're cracked up to be. Maybe the future isn't so bright. Maybe in the future, we'll have jobs to give people and get back to what made neighborhoods and this country what they used to be. About the people.
Today, I left work early and went to CVS. I picked up some toiletries and headed to the counter. A young woman scanned my items, asked if I had a CVS card and upon my negative response, she scanned the card on the counter. I got my savings and was out in a few minutes. No coupons printed out, no wasted paper. Technology works. Then I went to the gas station. I slid my debit card into the slot and pressed my pin numbers in. The display board said "see cashier inside." I walked in and he reset it. I did it again. Same message. He then reset the pump and he did it and pressed credit card. I said it was a debit and he said "oh sometimes that doesn't work?" Hmm? I then headed to my bank to make a withdrawal. I saw some woman in front of me getting frustrated and then it was my turn. I noticed they had installed a new machine and it gave me all the familiar choices and then said "want a receipt or not." There was no button I could press to activate an answer. The touch screen then started to flash a message saying if I didn't make a choice in 30 seconds my transaction would be terminated. So I cancelled it and went inside. Inside I filled out the paper withdrawal slip and signed it. I handed it to the cashier and she told me I needed to swipe my card. What? Didn't I just bypass the machine where you swipe your card? I did so and she then handed me the money. No big deals, but it seems to me it's a lot easier when there is some human interaction, even though it seems to me, that even when there is, we're made to use some sort of computer.
Most supermarkets now have self check-out. The idea being that people don't have to wait in long lines if they have a couple of items. Problem is, you inevitably end up with fewer cashiers and people checking out hundreds of items. Plus, they pay someone to watch over these special lines. These people usually are about as sociable as an agoraphobe and about as helpful as a certain female body part on a bull. Not to mention these machines are incredibly sensitive and the average person is as intelligent as a head of lettuce. My apologies to lettuce for the analogy. It just seems that the more technologically advanced certain things become the less productive they are.
On top of all the problems these advances cause the one that can most easily be measured is unemployment. For every thousand EZ-passes given out, there is another job lost. For every checkout line that disappears, so does someone's salary. For every automated teller machine there is one less living, breathing and smiling teller. For every online movie ticket purchase there is another ticket taker sitting at home. It's gotten to the point where the jobs being made obsolete are the ones that made us feel good. Someone couped up in a booth giving us a smile and telling us to enjoy our day. Someone bagging our groceries and making small talk. Someone paid to rip our ticket, maybe a child, maybe even someone who has some learning disabilities, but goes home proud at the end of the week because they have a few bucks they earned. Maybe all these tiny technological advances aren't all they're cracked up to be. Maybe the future isn't so bright. Maybe in the future, we'll have jobs to give people and get back to what made neighborhoods and this country what they used to be. About the people.
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