Destructive Technology

It has been argued that "advances" in technology can have negative effects. Look at popular communication, for example. Voice mail, email, instant messaging and text messaging, blackberries all have done wonders in terms of convenience and portability, however has their use really affected the nature of the message? While the Internet has proven invaluable in educational terms, the predominant use of computers (or more specifically keyboards) has had a dramatically negative affect on writing skills.

And we are not just talking about penmanship, here. Spell checkers are found on just about every email and writing program available, automatically correcting even the most egregious and blatant of errors. And while this may be helpful for many people, their existence also retards any incentive to learn the proper skills in the first place.

If the technology will always be there to back us up, why should we make the effort?

Well, for one thing, you can cover a lack of skills to some extent when aided by artificial intelligence, but at some point you are actually going to have to deal with people in person, where hiding ignorance will prove much more difficult. The short cuts and poor grammar found in instant and text messaging for example, are finding their way into the classroom. That has many people worried.

Many colleges and universities have had to resort to offering remedial English and writing courses and implementing tests for incoming freshman. The accepted SAT entrance exam now boasts a written essay. Aside from writing a grocery list or anniversary card, when was the last time you sat down and wrote out a page's worth of anything?

Such is the way technology can negatively affect our society. The thing about bad grammar, however, is that it can't hurt people. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about bad driving. If this year's auto shows are any indication, then we are in for yet another onslaught of gadgetry that's sure to make us even worse drivers than we already are.

One can lump automotive technology into two distinct categories. There's the "infotainment" group, made up of things like navigation systems, door openers, audio equipment, and so on which are designed to offer us something in addition to driving, presumably to occupy our short attentions while sitting in traffic. The other, more frightful group is the "driving dynamic" one, which actually influence how our cars move down the tarmac.

This group was originally limited to things of obvious value like airbags, which have been as invaluable in automotive safety as instant communication and the Web have been to prosperity in worldwide commerce. However, we seem to have long passed the point of diminishing returns as car manufacturers get even more creative with their junk.

I would say the line was crossed back around stability control.

As much as the car companies lay claim to advances in safety, many of today's features are rooted in performance. One could make the argument that some sort of electronic stability control or brake assistance -- which automatically lowers power or even applies a brake or two to regain control when a car has entered a curve too fast and is swerving out of control -- is progress. You could just as easily argue, though, that just the like the grammar checker does with writing, it allows us to drive like complete morons.

Two examples that I find particularly alarming are lane departure alarms and speed-adaptive radar. The latter will not only slow your car in traffic, but bring you to a full stop and then accelerate again as traffic warrants. At least in their current form, these are both technologies with which the manufacturers got far too wrapped up in whether or not they could to determine whether or not they should. Yet here comes another thing other automakers will scramble to duplicate and implement in upcoming models to satisfy some perceived need, and ultimately knock our fundamental driving skills (if not attentions spans) down one more notch.

Ayrton Senna was killed at Imola in 1994 when his blue and white Williams Renault left the track and collided with a concrete wall at 137 mph. To this day, the use of traction control, power steering, and active suspension remain at the center of the controversial incident. While this may be an extreme example, consider the fact that in 2004 8% of all drivers were using a cell phone during daylight hours, and that they were subsequently four times as likely to be in a collision. Should you think the "techno" logical answer would be to use hands-free phones, the study included them as well.

There is no question that cars are safer today than they were yesterday. One must consider, however, if we are collectively better drivers. I know that if I were driving a car with unassisted steering, drums brakes and no seat belt, I would think twice about reaching for the radio dial or Slurpee.

There is a time for everything, including technology. The movement to "big brother" systems watching over the driver's shoulder, however, is disconcerting. And because technology moves so quickly, the auto manufacturers are better off sticking to the fundamentals were they offer the most benefit, and not succumb to extraneous features that are subject to near-term obsolescence. At last check my house had no less than two laptop computers, two palm pilots, one digital camera, and a host of cell phones that are either broken or outdated.

We have enough aggravation with technological garbage already. We don't need it in our commute.

Comments

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[Dorri Williams]

Quote
"things of obvious value like airbags and anti-lock brakes, which have been as invaluable in automotive safety as. . ."

According to a report by the NHTSA on effectiveness of ABS, the net effect on reduction of ABS in preventing accidents was zero.

Here's the URL:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.51ea2eb4d278d13bc22cf37490008a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=3c0dd0fb9371f21ab25f5ed01891ef9a_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_3c0dd0fb9371f21ab25f5ed01891ef9a_viewID=detail_view&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=token&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=token&itemID=e8c87e2b49caff00VgnVCM1000002c567798RCRD&viewType=standard