I just upgraded my cell phone from a Blackberry 8310 to an HTC Evo Shift. I won't go into the details of the phone and all but I will say this, "It's different...way different!"
The point of my post is that continuously improving technology is dumbing us down—at least partially anyway. It could be just me but I doubt it. I agree it's assisting us to do better, greater, things but I think it's dwindling our brain power, specifically our memorization skills.
Switching phones has made me realize this.
Quick, tell me the phone number of a person that you talk to only once or twice a day.
Can't do it can you? Don't lie!
I can recall my wife's cell number in lightning speed. Not just because her number has the same first six numbers as mine but also because I call it ALL the time from my office phone or our house phone when I don't have my cell phone near me. I can dial my house number without pause because I dial it all the time from my work phone. I can call my office phone because I use it to check my work voice mail. They are all in my cell phone contacts list butI can dial them from memory.
Everyone else is on my cell phone I know their number as Stephanie, Shawn, Keith, Andy, Trey, etc. Have you tried punching in "T-R-E-Y" into a land line? It doesn't dial Trey's number nor does "A-N-D-Y" or "K-E-I-T-H" dial their respective numbers.
Now granted, I don't call these people often but I think it is often enough that I should have their number memorized by now if I was actually dialing it instead of selecting their name from my contacts list on my cell phone.
The worst (best?) story I have is the following: I am sitting at my desk working away at my computer. My office phone clicks - I don't like the ringing so there is a setting that makes the phone sort of click instead of ring. I look at the display and it's a number that seems familiar but I'm not totally convinced I know it. I don't answer it because my phone is part of a phone tree we used to have and I get the randomest, dumbest callers looking for information when it is now all on our website. Anyway, the phone clicks for 3-4 times and stops. About 10 seconds later, I hear it click again. I see it's the same somewhat-familiar number. I think to myself, "This caller really wants to talk to someone." I let it "ring" and stop once again. About 10 seconds later, my cell phone vibrates. I look at the display and see that it's my youngest calling because it has the name displayed. I look at the number and it's the same number that was calling my office line. How stupid am I that I don't even fully recall my own child's cell phone number?
So, I'm going to try a new tactic. I decided I'm going to try and dial the numbers of people I'm going to call instead of hitting Contacts->Name. I've tried it a few times and it's difficult because when I start to type the number it automatically reflects the numbers I have saved and shows the match possibilities. Most all of the time it's the exact person and I'm tempted to just reach my thumb up a few inches and click the name. It's like sticking my tongue to a 9-volt battery—I know what will happen but I can't keep from doing it.
Anyway, that's my thought and I'm going to attempt to get my "memory" back. Or at least practice using it a little more. Maybe it'll help in my studies...I'll take anything to help in that area!
The point of my post is that continuously improving technology is dumbing us down—at least partially anyway. It could be just me but I doubt it. I agree it's assisting us to do better, greater, things but I think it's dwindling our brain power, specifically our memorization skills.
Switching phones has made me realize this.
Quick, tell me the phone number of a person that you talk to only once or twice a day.
Can't do it can you? Don't lie!
I can recall my wife's cell number in lightning speed. Not just because her number has the same first six numbers as mine but also because I call it ALL the time from my office phone or our house phone when I don't have my cell phone near me. I can dial my house number without pause because I dial it all the time from my work phone. I can call my office phone because I use it to check my work voice mail. They are all in my cell phone contacts list butI can dial them from memory.
Everyone else is on my cell phone I know their number as Stephanie, Shawn, Keith, Andy, Trey, etc. Have you tried punching in "T-R-E-Y" into a land line? It doesn't dial Trey's number nor does "A-N-D-Y" or "K-E-I-T-H" dial their respective numbers.
Now granted, I don't call these people often but I think it is often enough that I should have their number memorized by now if I was actually dialing it instead of selecting their name from my contacts list on my cell phone.
The worst (best?) story I have is the following: I am sitting at my desk working away at my computer. My office phone clicks - I don't like the ringing so there is a setting that makes the phone sort of click instead of ring. I look at the display and it's a number that seems familiar but I'm not totally convinced I know it. I don't answer it because my phone is part of a phone tree we used to have and I get the randomest, dumbest callers looking for information when it is now all on our website. Anyway, the phone clicks for 3-4 times and stops. About 10 seconds later, I hear it click again. I see it's the same somewhat-familiar number. I think to myself, "This caller really wants to talk to someone." I let it "ring" and stop once again. About 10 seconds later, my cell phone vibrates. I look at the display and see that it's my youngest calling because it has the name displayed. I look at the number and it's the same number that was calling my office line. How stupid am I that I don't even fully recall my own child's cell phone number?
So, I'm going to try a new tactic. I decided I'm going to try and dial the numbers of people I'm going to call instead of hitting Contacts->Name. I've tried it a few times and it's difficult because when I start to type the number it automatically reflects the numbers I have saved and shows the match possibilities. Most all of the time it's the exact person and I'm tempted to just reach my thumb up a few inches and click the name. It's like sticking my tongue to a 9-volt battery—I know what will happen but I can't keep from doing it.
Anyway, that's my thought and I'm going to attempt to get my "memory" back. Or at least practice using it a little more. Maybe it'll help in my studies...I'll take anything to help in that area!
No comments:
Post a Comment