A complex world

 It is ironical that technology which we had thought would simplify our lives has in fact made it more and more complex and complicated. But we are getting so used to it that if we are not tech savvy then we are looked down upon in our social circles. 

Nowadays I get palpitations every time I have to upgrade my mobile. Transferring all my contacts, whatsapp messages and other data is simply an enormous chore. The joy of acquiring a new possession  wears off as quickly as bubbles in a glass of soda. When I purchased a smart tv, I had to spend a few days to try to decipher the settings or even try to master the volume increase method which simply refused to go up, and stubbornly turned to mute every time I pressed it. It became such a headache that I wished for the dear old idiot box of yore which was at least dependable. I knew which button would do what, not like the remotes now which promise voice activated search, but require fifty key presses to change a channel. Even kitchen appliances like multifunctional ovens or coffee machines with dozens of buttons simply confuse users and take away the joy of cooking.

Look at the automation in the new cars. What is the advantage of raising the windows by motor operated buttons when manual cranking is good enough, other than raising the cost of the car and future maintenance costs unnecessarily. Soon there will be AI operated self driven cars which hopefully I shall not have to witness or ride. 

Earlier aged people were revered for their wisdom, looked upto and given respect in society, but now the elderly are often targeted as they are not tech savvy, and can be easily conned by cyber crooks as is evident by the spate of digital arrests targeting senior citizens. Old brains which are fast forgetting the ways of the new world are being left behind in this race.

Now with the advent of artificial Intelligence, human ingenuity looks to be in its death throes. The old king (human intelligence) is dead. Long live the new king (AI). Sadly high tech gadgets which are meant to aid us are instead becoming our masters in the new age.