The above is from 1974. The TSR 80 (Trash 80) would come out in 1977. Initially expensive and for hobbyists, or people who used them professionally, the desktop computer revolution was on. Having lived through this huge change in the affairs of Man, I am struck by how little thought was given to how harmful this could all be. Like all tech revolutions, I doubt if anything could have been done to stop it. Tech can be a useful servant and a fearful master. People who use computers and the internet as a substitute for human companionship are to be pitied. I of course recognize the extreme irony of posting that sentiment on a blog. I am thankful that I did not purchase my first computer, a C-64, until I was 30 and had been married for five years. Even so, my Bride and I were surprised at how much time we spent using the computer.
Heard this statement repeated a few days ago…don’t know who said it..
“We were promised Star Trek and we’re given the Borg…”
True.
A couple years ago I was shelving some old magazines I found from my college days. Not sure why I still had them. But as I skimmed through them (as I’m inclined to do when moving books), a computer ad jumped out at me. I forget which brand (it was late 80s). But it had a fellow on a hammock drinking a tropical drink and the caption said to the effect: ‘now that you have your new computer, what will you do with all your extra time?’ That was a sales pitch I remember hearing. With computers to do the work, why we’ll have nine extra hours in an eight hour day! In addition to not seeing the troubles, it’s amusing to look back at the promises and predictions and compare the results.
I think that most of the problems introduced by computerization are avoidable. The worst of it is the way people interact with social media. (Well, ok, that’s the second-worst of it, but I don’t want to talk about pron.) Parents need to limit screen time, and they have to look up from their own phones to do so. But I think it’s manageable.
As a non-parent, I guess the question for me is whether there are any computer technologies that can’t be restricted comfortably. I’d be interested in parents’ responses.
“As a non-parent, I guess the question for me is whether there are any computer technologies that can’t be restricted comfortably.”
None. Our computer was in the living room where we could see what our kids were doing, and none of them got cell phones until the 8th grade, which occurred only because of athletics. There were still “episodes” but none any greater than my Dad finding a Playboy under my mattress when I was 14, and dealt with in a similar fashion.
We had a Trash-80, Model III growing up!
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