Tech Fatigue

I can't decide if I've reached peak tech. Do I have too much or not enough artificial intelligence (AI) in my life? I certainly don't have the correct amount. But I can't decide whether the solution is to scale back or double down. Truth is, AI is the inevitable future my kids will inhabit and I want them to be ahead of, or at least keeping pace with, the curve. However, while it is tempting to accept that constant change is the new normal, so just accept it, AI, like the Sabbath Day, was made for man, not the other way around. I want my AI to give me more time for human interactions. What I really want is for it to clean my house. Sigh.

I bought the kids a Wii U yesterday. It was my early Father's Day gift to myself on their behalf. They'd been asking for it and we had some some extra cash, so why not? Then I remembered why not when I had to spend hours setting up user accounts for each kid and making endless decisions about the nature of online interaction each user would be allowed. I miss the Nintendo 64. I just want to plug in a game and play. I hate online interactions. Clearly I am not the target market for purveyors of gaming consoles because the last thing I want is interactive online play, which is the one thing they all force you to accept. And in case you're thinking there is irony here, no, I do not consider online gaming a "human" interaction.

So this put my mind in a bad place regarding tech. Then I turned on my iMac and was informed that it had to restart to install an update that was not optional. It took 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes I thought about what I was going to do on the computer: type in my journal, which I keep in Evernote, and plan my week, which I do in Google Calendar. By the time the update had loaded, it was clear I could have already completed both tasks with a pen and notebook, which cost somewhat less than the $1,500 I spent on the computer and will soon have to spend again, should I choose to continue digitizing such activities.

Then the new update told me I had to make some new decisions about preferences in Apple Music. And on and on. Cross platform availability, searchable notes, The Doobie Brothers any time I want. These are all great, but am I getting dumber? I barely remember how to write in cursive. I can barely drive without a Garmin. I'm begging my kids to play video games instead of watching YouTube because at least they have to use their brain. Seriously. Read that sentence twice, and then weep.

I suppose the bottom line is that I have take control of this. We have to get strategic about our tech usage. We need to evaluate how technology can enhance our goals (instead of becoming our goals)  and contribute to (rather than distract from) the vision Katie and I have for our family. I need to apply a lot more of my old fashioned intelligence before acquiring or implementing any more of the artificial variety.