The world of the future .....

Some time ago I came across the videos below on Facebook and they fascinated me.

Technology is AMAZING. After I got over the shock of how amazing the future looked I went back and watched the videos a little more closely.

What bothered me is the reality that this is not necessarily the technology for everyone.

I can't see schools in poor communities, or schools in middle class communities - schools that can't afford to have paper available to their students for an entire academic year without getting help from the PTO having that kind of technology available for their children.

And I know it will be a very long time before I can afford a car like that (and even then it will be a very used car).

I am in no way saying that we should not advance technology ... we have to. What I am saying is that we need to take a moment to stop and think about the reality that these kinds of technologies will enlarge the gap between the rich and the poor. There is no way to ignore the fact that the gap keeps getting larger - within a country and between countries. If a poor child in the US won't be able to see this technology in the classroom, can you imagine a child in a village in Uganda having access to it?

A part of me can't wait for whatever comes after this technology - so that I can afford some of the things here. It is reminiscent of The Jetsons (Skype is reminiscent of The Jetsons for that matter). I know that I am aging myself but when I grew up watching this cartoon I couldn't wait for my flying car, video phone, and that closet that would dress me in whatever outfit I wanted. Maybe I am getting older - but I would kind of like the technology roller coaster to slow down a little bit so I can learn to truly appreciate the newest thing .... before I have to turn it in next month for the newer version of the newest thing! If you know what I mean.

Right now, my seven year old is fascinated with dinosaurs .... since we are not this far into the future yet we will need to learn about the past the old fashioned way. We are about to go upstairs and read a book! Just an observation ......

 

 

Technology Free Vacation!!!

Well, there have been no posts in awhile, I have been in the White Mountains with the family enjoying the world without technology and without news! No Internet, no e-mail, no Facebook, no blogs, no television, minimal cell phone service (they are good to have in case you lose each other at Storyland or Clark's Trading Post). We enjoyed a couple mile walk in the Pemigewasset River (nature photos to follow shortly), campfires, some antique shops, hiking at The Polar Caves and catching crayfish and tadpoles along the river, and frogs in the forest. Overall it was a really nice week. The "cabin" we stayed was a bit scary (I am actually not sure this adjective is strong enough for the situation, but it will do). The cabin was actually a very small old trailer, covered in wood to look like a cabin, and that was ok. But we walked in to find a hole in the floor covered by a rug and when I put the pillows on the table it collapsed (I will not even attempt to describe the scent of the cabin for I do not think adequate words exist). One "bedroom" was big enough for the bed and that was it. The other "bedroom" was really a closet with bunkbeds. The five year old was impressed, but the six-foot teenager was not amused (fortunately there was a pullout bed in the "livingroom/kitchen"). After the 70+ year-old owner and his grandson came by to check things out, we ended up with a piece of plywood drilled over the hole, and they took the table off the wall, mounted it to the top if a stool and brought it back we settled in for our camping adventure! The location was fabulous and they had a tractor ride through the forest and waterslides at the pool, so overall the vacation was a success! But I was so glad to be home and take a long shower and get the old laptop fired up. There is so much to catch up on and I do not even want to think about what my work e-mail is going to look like! Perhaps later this evening I will catch up on the 30-day blog .... but that may have to wait until tomorrow, I don't want to rush back into the hectic world of technology just yet!