Fif-TECH-Teen: Why is technology categorized?
Greetings Tattletech readers,
I think human beings in general tend to put labels on things and think in boxes and it is only when you are taught to think outside of these boxes that you start to see a completely different picture. This applies to the way we think about technology.
I was party to a recent discussion between my father and Jennifer, the founder of this blog. My father (a builder) was actually bragging that he had just purchased a new battery-operated drill that contained a lithium battery pack. In my dad’s eyes, this is a fantastic innovation for the construction industry; it is a lighter, longer lasting, more powerful and quicker to charge.
It was then said that the drill was a good piece of “low technology,” which my father did not quite understand because it was the “highest” piece of technology that he has ever purchased. This got my thinking; what is the line between “low” and “high” tech? What is high tech to one person might be low tech to another, purely because of their career paths and expertise. Why does this have to be the case? Why categorize at all?
When I study the technology of my BlackBerry, the advancements that make a difference to me are Blackberry Messenger, app capacity, the amount of pictures and music I can store and the quality of access to the Internet, so I can check my e-mail, Facebook and Twitter. However (and I apologize for using my father in another comparison, but you have to realize that how different we truly are), my father thinks that advancements in phone technology should mean that phones become more shock resistant, dust resistant and moisture resistant. He once dropped his Samsung Solid from a roof three stories high, went down, picked it up, and and called to order his dinner. So once again, this proves that high tech for one person is low tech for another, but really it’s just technology and all advancement is good.
Even though I stand by my opinion and I think technology shouldn’t be categorized, feel free to comment on this piece by Tweeting at @tattletech or me personally @sean_edwards1 and let me know if you categorize technology and why? I look forward to your replies.
