Paperwork - A Thing Of The Past?
The pace that technology is growing and evolving these days is truly astounding. Things such as the internet have made our lives so much easier by giving us a world of knowledge at our finger tips; we can literally access information on virtually anything in the click of a button. It really is amazing stuff, and it is rendering so many relics of the past obsolete. Whether or not this is a bad thing is up for debate. Many older people will get a little nostalgic from time to time doing things the old way, but for the younger generations this is their way of life and they are really making the most of it.
Things such as the hard copy phone book and business directory have nearly been rendered completely obsolete by the information revolution, and it’s easy to see why; when you once would have had to go and open up a big book, find the right page and then find the right number, you can now simply enter what or who it is you are after, and be given the results nearly instantly. Do people miss these things? I am not too sure to be honest; I can’t see why anyone would be disappointed in them being replaced with something that is so much easier, quicker and up to the minute.
But it is not just little things like the information directories that are being knocked into history; even the postal system is not immune to the technological revolution. A once great symbol of national prosperity, posting letters has increasingly become a thing of the past with the rapid rise of email and instant messaging. I mean let’s face it, would you rather pay for a stamp to send an envelope to someone who will receive it a day or two later, or send an email for free that they will receive instantly? Easy one, I know. But some people do still enjoy the thought of a nice letter or card, and I can see how they can hold deep sentimental value for some people. I’m not sure that postal mail will ever truly become obsolete, but it has definitely played a much smaller role in the world of communications over the last few years.
So whether you are relishing or loathing the technology revolution, be it due to the demise of your beloved business directory, or because your grandson never sends a card any more, one thing is for sure: it’s not stopping and it is only going to get bigger. In ten years from now, it will probably be the driving force of the whole planet, so it’s probably time to at least learn how to use it properly!