Tuesday, August 23, 2016

The Internet is changing everything

Oh, how the world is changing
My little grand-niece Alicia is proficient with her iPad at sixteen months. Unfortunately for her mother, this particular iPad is now toast, since Alicia decided to see if it would float in the bathtub. I just learned from my sister Norma Jean that Alicia already has a new one, this time with a waterproof case.

In many ways, I don't feel a huge need to dash down to Florida to visit my sister, since we talk every other week on FaceTime, and it's simply wonderful to sit down with this technology and have a good long face-to-face exchange. Phone calls aren't the same at all. How much I look forward to these visits!

I also do all of my banking online and don't even have a physical place nearby. The number of checks I write in one year is in the single digits; everything else is electronic. The only thing that bothers me is my complete dependency on the digital world and the internet. I surely do hope that the People In Charge (whoever they are) are also cognizant of our need to keep all this going.

Does it scare you? When Delta Airlines a few weeks ago lost their internet connection, things were chaotic for days. What would happen if it happened on a larger scale? Sometimes I think about things like this and really wish I wouldn't.
:-)

20 comments:

  1. yes, i think about it. the banking industry scares me, especially. what if we couldn't access our own money?

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  2. I worked with computers my whole career. I learned to have a back-up plan for everything digital. Things happen.

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  3. I'm sure that if the terrorists don't get us all first, and a country with an intelligent, measured dictator/leader DOES, it will be a cyber WW3. Hit out electricity first, and then the banking, and the internet access, and our world as we know it crumbles. Yep, it's scary.

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  4. So many of my bills and statements are delivered online. Not too sure what would happen if I lost track of what I get and what I pay.

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  5. I was thinking the same yesterday while sat in the car waiting for my husband. Cyber attack would be devastating. It is disturbing to think about it, I agree.

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  6. It's the same for us over here DJan. We become more and more dependent - unwillingly.

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  7. Technogy is a wonderful thing. Even though we fuss and fume when we lose brief access to it, I don't think any of us can say we are better off without it. Technology has made our life easier and allows us to spend time we wouldn't have otherwise had doing things we enjoy. Saying all that, I do fear that we are leaving ourselves open for a major disaster if someone with evil intent decides to do something untoward using the same technology system that we depend upon.
    There are things I enjoy as I read a book: the turning of pages in a book, the smell of a book, the feeling I get as I hold that book to my chest as I rest from reading....all things that may seem silly to a Kindle reader, but things that bring me happiness. But, I am thankful for books on devices for those who enjoy using them to read. Technology is a wonderful thing. I use it...but am not soley dependent upon it (yet.) 😊

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  8. We get one bank statement online. I still write about 5 checks a month. Old school I know but it works for us.
    We are mostly a computer dependent society although I know a number of people that refuse to be sucked in and don't even have a computer! My husband is running into that as he collects information on his Classmates. (Some of them only check their email once a month...where as he checks his many times a day! ) He really enjoys Facetime with his sister for him it is better than a real visit because he can sleep in his own bed at night! :)

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  9. Yes, I have thought of that. I think we all have since it was brought up big time New Year's Eve 1999--LOL!

    Yes--from the SS check I get to paying most of my bills and being housebound most of what I buy is online or I need the internet--including groceries and kitty litter. My life has changed so much in the past decade plus to where it would be a shock if I lost internet completely. It is scary enough when you have temporary issues that are only your own--LOL!

    I am glad I still read real books and write letters by hand and journal and make crafts and play with art. Whew! I will be okay. ;)

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  10. I don't quite do everything completely online - for the reason that what happens if the computer goes down.

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  11. Yep I do think such things. Russia right now is perusing accounts in the US with impunity. Partially why I still write checks for most things. Also we occasionally have long periods of power outages here which makes technology useless. I'm not quite in the 21st century yet.

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  12. Oh yes. Technology is wonderful when it works. Which it doesn't always. It worries me that so many people couldn't cope without it.

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  13. I try not to think about it (thanks for putting it in my head!) - life would be utter chaos!

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  14. I've seen this with kids before . It's amazing what they can do.

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  15. I think about the risks occasionally, but it has not yet stopped me from taking full advantage of electronic banking, buying on line etc. Technology can truly enrich our lives. How wonderful that you can Face Time with family :-)

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  16. I think we realize the risk, but just close our minds to it and carry on. We do love Facetime. What bothers me is ads showing up on sites I visit (like a newspaper or the Weather Network) that are obviously personally targeted at me. Google and Facebook all know exactly what I'm looking at these days.

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  17. What a cute photo of that kid using the iPad. Adorable.

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  18. We are so dependent on technology it is frightening. I feel lost if I go out without my phone which is just ridiculous.

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  19. Cute photo! What I don't get is why, when we do our banking online, we can't all vote online. Would seem a lot more efficient, timely and accurate as well.

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  20. That's an interesting shape for an iPad. I didn't realize little kids were able to use it so easily these days. Granted my one year old grandson kept lunging for his mother's cellphone all the time. He probably wanted to just chew it though.

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