I was sent a YouTube link in an email, and the video discusses the dizzying rate of change in the Information Age.  You can view it here: Did You Know? video

If you’ve read some of my previous posts, you know that I’m a proponent of change.  I guess I get bored easily, and always look for the next challenge.  Hence, my weight-loss and caffeine-free brainstorms.  In general, I think change is usually for the better.  But I see some problems that brought about by the rapid changes of the Information Age:

More electronic junk in our landfills - I have a cellphone that’s going on 6 years old.  My kids call it a relic.  I’m sure its brethren from the assembly line are keeping Jimmy Hoffa company in some unknown landfill.  Think of all the toxic shit that goes into making these gadgets, and how it will percolate into our groundwater.  A bonus gift for our grandchildren, to go along with our national debt.

Identity Theft - A greater online presence means a greater chance of your identity being stolen, whether you’re hacked, phished, or spoofed.  I do all of my banking online, and have gone to great lengths to create complicated passwords and user names that I sometimes have trouble keeping straight.  If your password is “password”, I recommend that you make it a little more difficult for safety’s sake.

Texting While Driving - Had texting never been invented, careless drivers would have to resign themselves to putting on eyeliner or tying their neckties while hurtling through rush-hour traffic.  Technology has brought us this new menace.  I don’t see this one going away anytime soon, no matter how much Oprah bitches about it.  She can text and drive; she has a chauffeur.

Additional Fees - Cellphones are outdated 6 months after purchase.  Time to upgrade, only you signed a two-year contract.  Tough shit for you.  But you’ve just got to have the latest model.  No discount this time.  Bend over, here it comes!  Don’t worry, your old phone will have plenty of company in the landfill.

Obsolete Educations - As the video mentioned, we are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist.  Well, how many other types of jobs that are currently being taught to college students will be obsolete in ten years?  Did we really think that newspapers would become a relic from the 20th century?  How can you pay off a student loan if you can’t get a job in your field?

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