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The biggest tool of them all

Liam Britten

editor in chief

erhaps the most overused and
Pirsernciin cliche since the

popularizing of home computers
and the Internet has been the Terminator
scenario.

You know, the idea that one day we’ll
all live networked in an artificial computer-
contriled hellscape all because at te turn
of the 21st century we foolishly relied too
much on computers to do our jobs and make
our lives easier. We’ll live in a scary, dark
city designed by Ridley Scott, unable to
fend off the evil robots who easily defeated
our pathetic, fleshly bodies thanks to how
much we trused them. There is no escape
and no one can save us; not Harrison Ford
from Blade Runner, not Keanu Reeves from
The Matrix, not even that guy from THX-
1138.

And John Connor? He doesn’t stand a
chance.

I may be exaggerating a little (just
a little) but ideas like that are pretty
commonly bandied about. I started hearing
them back when computers were first
being used for banking and other imortant
daily tasks, but when social network things
like MySpace and Facebook became the
giants they are now, that line of thinking
was everywhere. After all, with computers
now essential tools for socialization,
would human contact become a quaint
anachronism? Computer networks transcend
almost every barrier that prevents us from
contacting our friends and family; expense,
distance, scheduling, legalities, [word that
implies not knowing ow to contct] even
a lack of effort. So how could things like
travel or meeting someone personally hope
to remain relevant while fraught with such
difficulty?

Easy. Because compared to meeting

your friends and family in person, Facebook
and company sucks hard.

It’s true. You’d really have to be
foolish to think that something like
Facebook can replace the excitement of
seeing--actully seeing-- the people you
care about in person. I don’t think any
invention or software can ever do that, even
if it had, like, virtual reality Mafia Wars or
something. So why do people think it could
happen?

Maybe we’ re afraid of giving up
control or maybe just don’t trust computers,
but either way, it’s silly. Computers are just
tools that make our lives easier. Did people
100 years ago think that the vast social
networking power of the telephone would
eliminate our need for human contact?
Becuse that’s what Facebook basically is...
well, a phone with Farmville on it.

Worrying about computers changing
our lives into some horrible corruption of
everyting we know and love today is just
ridiculous. We’ll never become totally
dependent on computers the way some
might think because frankly, computers just
aren’t that good. I know they might seem
impressive now, but human beings have
always needed the sort of personal touch
that computers simply cannot provide.
We'll always need it, because there will
never, ever, be an app for that.

So don’t feel bad about your Facebook
addiction or your inability to put down your
BlackBerry. They’re just tools. You’re not
afraid of your dependence on hammers or
any other tools so don’t worry about this
one.

Your friend in high fidelity,
Liam Britten

Editor in chief

The Other Press

 

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