An Innocent Conversation, a Creeping Takeover, and a Dystopian Future
Tomorrow is already here, and it ain’t pretty. But we have a choice.
“I used to have a system,” he said in a reflective tone. “Back when I was a salesperson, I lived in my car. Three things were always in the passenger seat alongside me: a diary, samples, and street maps — everything I needed for my work.”
Oh, for a simpler life, I thought to myself.
He continued, warming to the theme. “The diary to keep my life organized; the samples to showcase the merchandise I was selling; and the maps to show me the way. But I only needed the maps once per journey — the first time I went somewhere. After that, I remembered the route. Now, my smartphone gives me directions, but I forget them as soon as I take the next exit. I’ve visited the same client five times and still can’t find their door without my phone guiding me.”
“Technology makes us dependent,” I muttered to myself. “No question about that.”
We were having a conversation with the breeder of our new puppy. It was a conversation about nothing before we met our latest family member.
My wife and I were very excited about the trip. It was eighty miles, taking about ninety minutes. The roads, the turns, the…
