Blog Entry #7: Humankinds Rolodex (Pocket Translation)

I remember being at my grandparent's house for Thanksgiving in 2006 when my uncle brought up this new website called Twitter, similar to Facebook, saying that it was going to be the next big thing. My Dad and cousins were rattling off all their opinions of how it'll never take saying things like, "Who's going to be interested in anything 140 characters or less?" or "Tweet? That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." People always make jokes when the latest and greatest is in its infancy.

At the time, I was only 9 years old and was just along for the ride as the grown-ups were talking, but I learned this new word that my uncle said, sticking out beyond the rest, "Hashtag." "You put this character before a word or short phrase, and it allows you to categorize and summarize your statement." my uncle said. Almost like a title for the end of your tweet, emphasizing whatever you want to be emphasized. 

Fast forward nearly 20 years, and this seemingly alien word has become commonplace in today's vernacular as if it has been living among us all along. Not to be too cynical, but this is my blog and my thoughts, so here goes. 

In 2006, we were given this platform where we could say nearly anything we wanted behind the safety of a computer screen without the expected repercussions of social interactions, all consolidated in one neatly organized place. One year after that, we were introduced to the iPhone. In 2007, we were given this generation-changing piece of technology that allows us to have instant access to the internet, using these even newer common culture terms called "apps," streamlining an already fast process to enable us to say something that may bite us in the but a decade down the line if someone out there thinks you are getting too successful. The internet became the wild wild west, and "quickdraw tweeting what I feel when I feel it" was born. 

The irony is that my own gripe with technological advances is a byproduct of hashtags, widgets, apps, iPhones, and anything else in technology. We are being given an expedited path to information with minimal effort. The hunt for information, which used to be an exploration into the unknown with each trip to the library, has been reduced to asking our phone and immediately getting a biased response based on our prior search history or X.com history, creating a narrow-minded version of everything we think and believe. 

The days of asking a librarian or finding a professional in the field of your question to recommend where to begin your search are long over, and I fear that the treasure hunt for information is crippling us from thinking for ourselves and removing the feeling of curiosity as a whole. When you eliminate curiosity, you are removing a vital part that comes with creativity and innovation. These seemingly little adjustments to find information easier have led us down a one-way road we will soon wish we never went down.

There is a correct way to implement these wicked cool advances in our lives, but the effort it takes to practice this far exceeds the worth to most people. With this in mind, I never think there is a point of no return for humans. The glass always stays half full.