life without technology

A Life Without Technology
There's no doubt that technology brings with it some scary things.
The scariest of them all is of the uncertainty. Human beings are creatures of habit and any introduction of anything new typically raises an eyebrow (at least) or pitchforks (more often). It's a somewhat common theme that is tiresome to me, but one that rages with debate throughout the times. If you study history, many of the same arguments that are made as to why the Internet is ruining our society and culture can be found when we first saw the introduction of public speaking, the printed word, telecommunications and on and on.
The common plight of smartphones and mobile devices is that they are shackles that handcuff an employee to their work
Twenty-fours hours a day and seven days a week. While your boss may have an expectation that because you have a BlackBerry you should be responding to their emails at 6 am on a Saturday (emergency or not), this is less about your boss' disposition and more about a common lack of education as to how to use technology to get the best results. Many people are often shocked to hear that my iPhone never makes a peep. I get one silent vibrate for text messages (and I'm quick to block those that I do not know) and two vibrations for a phone call. My iPhone will not beep, vibrate or blink when emails, tweets, or Facebookupdates arrive. Why? It's my job to best manage my technology (and not the other way around). The people I work with know that email is the best form of communication with me and that if it's an emergency, to please call. On the other side of this communication, I check my emails (and other digital notifications) when I want (not in the moment that they happen). The phone does ring, but it's only on a rare occasion (for those emergencies).
There's a macro lesson here.
If you think your kid is spending too much time on their iPad and not enough time outside getting some exercise, don't blame the iPad. Before the iPad, they were playing video games, and before video games they were watching TV, and before TV they were reading comic books. Throughout history, you will uncover generations of youth who would rather sit around and play than go outside and play.
It's not technologies' fault that a kid is lazy... it comes down to parenting, values and the child's disposition.
The Waldorf School of the Peninsula is one of over 150 Waldorf schools in the United States that doesn't allow technology or gadgets for students up until the eighth grade. These are not the wired classrooms we keep hearing about. In fact, they're traditional classrooms - the ones you might see in a Norman Rockwell painting (yellow pencils, wood desks and all). The reason why this particular school is getting so much attention is because it is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and hosts children whose parents work at companies likeGoogle, Yahoo and Apple. It seems so counter-intuitive that the story (which I originally saw in The New York Times in late October titled, A Silicon Valley School That Doesn't Compute), has become a hotly discussed topic... Where else, but online.
Do kids need Google?
Can kids learn math better from a teacher than an iPad? What good is an education if a child can't learn how to use a physical dictionary? You can see how the discourse evolves. The answer to the question is (obviously) no. Kids do not need Google, a great math teacher is much better than an iPad app, and it's important that kids know what a book is. But, there's something else we need to remember: our values were created in a different time and in a different place. Let's rephrase the question: am I doing my child a service or disservice by not allowing a component of their education to include computers, technology and connectivity? This is not a zero sum game. Think about it this way: the current jobs that the majority of my friends are working at didn't even exist as occupations when I was in High School. Should a child be lugging around five textbooks in a backpack that's causing them spinal disc herniation or does an iPad not only enable them to have a lighter load, but the ability to also create, collaborate and engage more with their peers (when used correctly)?
Look into the future.
What do you see? Do you see a world of cubicles, desks and paperclips, or do you see a very different world? So, while some may think it's important to keep technology away from our kids for as long as possible, I'm open to argue that it's not an all-or-nothing proposition. I can't imagine my kids ever using a HB pencil when they finally enter the workforce... In fact, I'm willing to bet that they probably won't even be using a keyboard and a mouse on a computer like we do today.

EWS FEATURE | If you’re anything like me, the thought of living without the conveniences of modern technology is enough to send you into fits of panic.
But then, why would I even consider it? Technology has made our lives easier, right?
Imagine operating a workplace without mobile phones and email. Consider organising a social life without Facebook. Surely to get by without technology, I would be more stressed through having to better organise my life.
University of South Australia’s Centre for Applied Psychological Research Director Maureen Dollard doesn’t think so.
Ms Dollard said modern technologies in our working lives add another “layer of demand” on workers, making us more likely to burn out.
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“As an academic, for example, you spend quite a lot of time answering emails of which you might get several hundred a day. You are accessible to absolutely everybody in the world 24 hours a day,” said Ms Dollard.
“And there is also an expectation that you will respond in a short period of time.”
Ms Dollard believes technology can be hard to ignore, which heaps the pressure on us and can cause us serious harm.
“If you have an email that sounds off an alarm every time an email comes in, this triggers a reaction, which could be addictive in nature,” she said.
“All these technological advances probably add to work demands and so my prediction is that they can add up to create psychological stress, emotional exhaustion and workplace depression.”
A quick poll of my friends (via Facebook, ironically) tells me most of them have mixed feelings about modern technology and its potential for causing stress.
While most admit social networks such as Facebook allow them to keep in touch with friends they otherwise may not have, some said they felt the pressure to keep up to date with those communications.
Eighteen-year-old Magan Goh said without technologies such as Facebook, email and mobile phone, her work life would be better off, but her social life would suffer.
“I would be less stressed in my work life because there becomes a distinction between 'work' and 'personal' life rather than having a medium link them both,” said Goh.
“For my social life, I would be more stressed without technology because communication is so much quicker, simpler and less emotionally taxing when you don't have to face people to talk about stuff that you’d rather just get a quick yes or no response to.”
Hana Park, 21, had a similar response, saying technology has its uses but our reliance on it is too strong.
“Generally speaking, technology takes the stress out of work, social life and other aspects such as school,” she said.
“Most times, it allows us to communicate conveniently yet because there is no face to face contact, this has allowed for misunderstanding and inability to deliver emotion efficiently.”
“I think many of us rely on technology too much and so when it fails, we find that we are more stressed than we would be if we didn't rely on it so much.”
So how do we reduce the stress levels when it comes to technology?
Ms Dollard said the only real way was to step away from the computer and turn off the iPhone or Blackberry.
“Having holidays away from technology would be highly recommended. I think you should leave your smart phone at home and head for the country.”

an is our navigator with the Double Click program, helping to provide affordable computers to people with disabilities. This post explains why this is is a valuable service. Thanks Ian!
Modern technology has become such an important facet of our lives that without it, the world would be radically different. We use so much technology (things like cell phones, computers, WiFi, cars, etc.) that it has ceased to be the luxury item it was even 10 years ago and has become the basic necessity that it is today. But there are still many people who do not even have the basic access that many of us take for granted.
If you are living on a very low income, things like cars, cell phones, and computers are going to stretch your budget. Cars need gas, maintenance, insurance. Cell phones need payment plans and a computer by itself can cost several hundred dollars. In our society now, if you do not personally own or do not have easy and convenient access, you are going struggle to keep up. For many of my consumers, this is the first time owning a computer. Many are looking for work or are beginning to go back to school. For those who are going to school, finding classes online is very important. Many do not have a car or easy access to public transportation, so being able to access those classes online gives them an opportunity that they may not have had previously.
I know from personal experience what it is like to attend school without a computer, and it was never an easy time. You have to schedule your time around when libraries and computer labs are open so that you can get your work done, and it is not always assured that there will be a space open for you. And the locations where the computers are may not always be easy to get to. During my time studying abroad, I had to take public transportation to a computer lab. Fortunately, the Austrians are known for their transportation systems, so I was only a 20 minute ride and walk away from wherever I had to be. I spent most of my senior year in college without a computer, mostly because I was to lazy to get it fixed after it got a virus. So whenever I had any work to do, I had to drive to the school computer lab. It could get inconvenient and stressful at times to do all this, even considering the fact that I had easy access at all times.
Without something like a personal computer, trying to get a job is very difficult. Many businesses now place ads for positions on the internet, and so it becomes hard for someone to get a job. Other businesses allow for someone to work entirely from home, so being able to get those types of jobs lets a person earn an extra income, and if you are dependent on a single low income, even a little bit can go a long way. For them, it is a great opportunity to get access to technology that they may not have had before. It is important for them to bridge the “technology divide” and for us to help get them there.

It truly is amazing just how far technology has taken us. Technology is constantly progressing, making our lives simpler in ways we could have never imagined. With technology's constant evolution, society continues to move forward at a rapid rate. While the changes technology brings to our daily lives is often welcomed, there's also a surprising consequence that comes with technology.
Technology has began to impact our daily lives to an alarming extent. The use of technology is everywhere we look. You can't turn a corner or make a phone call without being consumed by technology. While it's wonderful how easy technology has made our lives, it's also actually kind of disturbing how much we have come to depend on technology just to maintain our current lifestyles. Technology that was once considered to be a luxury has almost come to the point of being a necessity.
We now heavily rely on technology just to make it through our days-- whether we like to admit it or not. We may not even be aware of just how reliant we have come on certain features of technology, such as the internet and cell phones. The internet and cell phones have played a large role in the ability to easily maintain our days. Easily connected with one another at a simple touch of a button. While the internet and cell phones may seem like a must, the truth is, they are merely a luxury. We will continue to breath and the sun will continue to rise if all the cell phones disappeared and the internet vanished.
If theses modern technologies were to vanish, how would you handle it? You may not be able to cope with the feeling of disconnection as easily as you might think. It has been proven you can actually suffer withdrawals from technology. Sudden and prolonged outages of technology can cause anxiety issues, increased stress, and even depression. People have reported to experience altered moods, irritability, and yes-- even irrational thoughts.
With this in mind the question is raised, is technology really helping us or is it actually crippling us? The ease technology has made of our lives may actually be harming us. With everything just a touch of a finger or click of a mouse away, are we losing our natural instinct to survive in the process? If all the computers, satellites, and wi-fi connections suddenly vanished, would the human race continue to survive with the ease and comfort of present times?
It's truly amazing just how much technology has began to impact our daily lives. Turning away from technology isn't as simple as just unplugging the television or turning off the cell phone, because there's still the microwave, washing machine, and medical monitors. It's hard to imagine life without these luxuries we all take for granted.

Technology in our daily lives

The other day, we suffered from power cut for a couple of hours, which is quite commonplace in India, and that too right before we were due to have guests over for dinner! I was in a state of flux to say the least! Why you ask? Well, because I would now have to shower, without a water heater in this bitter winter. Add to that the misery of having to heat food for 12 people on the stovetop instead of just conveniently bunking it all into the microwave. Even entertaining guests with ambient music was a challenge with the electricity out! A couple of hours without electricity, and the impact of technology in our daily lives over the last few decades, was once again iterated resoundingly!

There is no denying the positive impact of technology in a household, and its role in making our daily lives easier beyond. After all can you imagine using a stone grinder to get all your blends done in time for the daily cooking, or heating food on the stovetop for each meal in the day? A long list of laborsaving appliances and household items have changed all that and significantly altered the way we live.

Technology is very much a part of modern life. It has improved productivity at home and also improved the quality of life by doing many of our mundane tasks for us, so we can spend time on things that matter more to us, such as working, reading, meeting people, or in my case, even writing this blog post!

Home appliances that we take for granted so often, take over many time consuming daily chores such as washing dishes, laundry, ironing clothes among other things. Refrigerators help food to stay fresh longer thereby minimizing wastage and air conditioners ensure that we don’t melt in the summer heat! The list of appliances that ensure a comfortable life for us is endless, and what’s more, it is only likely to grow over time, and we may just be on the brink of living with Artificial Intelligence tending to our every need, as many sci-fi movies have indicated!

I have penned down this blog post to acknowledge and pay tribute to the humble home appliances that make life an enjoyable pursuit, where each of us have the luxury to enjoy our spare time doing things that stimulate or interest us. Take this blog post that are reading right now for example!

To sum up I would like to call out the appliances that make it to the top of my list of comfort living:
- A microwave: The ultimate solution for all of us who are perpetually on the go, and need things done pronto
- The television: There is hardly anything as comforting as the idiot box after a long hard day at work, it surprisingly helps you switch from everything else that has occupied your day
- The refrigerator: I don’t know about you, but every time I walk into the kitchen it gives me immense satisfaction to peer into my fridge to see what I have stocked up, it’s a strange soothing habit!
- The Washing machine: Can you imagine scrubbing clothes day in and day out or even your house help going at your favorite t-shirt with a clothes brush with a vengeance! Thank heavens for the washing machine – it makes for stress free laundry time, with minimum chance of damage to your favorite clothes.

That’s my short list of appliances that make my life a more comfortable one, what’s your list like? Would love to know!

In case you have any appliance related query you can write to us @ [e-mail], and my team of experts will be happy to help you be appliance happy

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* Did you know: You are actually using the same technology that astronauts used on the moon, while cleaning your couch! The NASA-related research helped refine the technology that led to lightweight, hand-held vacuum cleaners and other tools.