(NOTE) The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book entitled “MORPHING INTO THE REAL WORLD: THE MANUAL FOR ENTERING THE WORKFORCE”.
Today our society is driven by technology and some would accuse me of being an anti-tech. Having been actively involved with the information technology industry for the past 30 years, I can assure you that this is simply not true. I have witnessed many different technological improvements over the years, but what intrigues me the most is how it affects us socially. I firmly believe that technology is purchased more as a fashion statement than as a practical application. Consequently, we tend to underuse or abuse technology, costing companies millions of dollars. Instead of “Ready, aim, shoot” people tend to, “Fire, aim, ready.” In other words, people tend to implement the latest technology before understanding precisely what it is or what business need it meets. For me, this is putting the cart before the horse.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the 20th and 21st centuries is how technology has changed the rhythm of our lives. Now we expect to communicate with anyone on the planet in seconds, not days. We await information at our fingertips. We expect to be on our feet and walking shortly after a hip or knee replacement. Basically, we take a lot of things for granted. But this hectic pace has also altered the way we do business and live our lives. To illustrate, we want to solve problems immediately and do not have the patience for long-term solutions. Consequently, we tend to attack the symptoms rather than address the real issues, and apply band-aids to pacify the moment rather than the tourniquets that are actually needed. We easily satisfy ourselves by solving small problems instead of conquering big challenges. Personally, we tend to live for today, rather than planning for tomorrow. This mentality worries me a lot.
What if someone disconnected our technology? Would engineers still know how to write products? Would we still know how to ship a product or process an order? Would our financial transactions stop? Would the business stop? The answer, sadly, is yes. This highlights the manifest dependence we have developed on our technology and is cause for alarm. Technology drives us and not the other way around. By disconnecting our technology, we are disconnecting the human being. Do you think i’m wrong? Watch what happens the next time your office or home power goes out.
Due to the dominance of technology, people have let their socialization skills slip away. Little things like common courtesy, appearance, and our ability to relate to others have deteriorated in the workplace. We may be effective in electronic communication, but we are becoming complete failures in social communication. Throughout the book I mention how people act on perceptions, right or wrong. These perceptions are largely based on our ability to communicate, for example through the messages we convey verbally or in writing, our appearance, our body language, and how we treat others. If we cannot communicate effectively in this capacity, no amount of technology will be able to alter the perceptions of our co-workers, our managers, our customers, our suppliers, or our friends and family.
To this end, I have introduced a new Bryce law:
“As technology use increases, social skills decline.”