Technology has turned us into liars

Technology has definitely made our lives a lot easier. We can video chat with anyone around the world on our phones. We can order anything online and it could arrive in 2 days. We can press a button and a blog post is born. What a world we live in! But the advancement of technology has also produced negative effects. I'd like to argue that technology fosters the transformation of the human race into liars.

Remember when cell phones were really big (in size, not in popularity)? Like the one that Zack Morris had in Saved by the Bell. Can you imagine what the world would be like without cell phones? Apparently, there was such a time according to my parents. It was called the 1970s. So what happens back then if you make plans with someone and are running late? In the pre-mobile phone era, people were never late. When they said dinner was 7, dinner was at 7. Nowadays, cell phones allow us to say that we are going to be earlier than we are going to be. (e.g. "I'll see you in 10 minutes" when it will probably take you 20 minutes). Technology makes us lie about our schedule.

Remember encyclopedias? Those used to be an excellent resource for any science project or history report. (I remember thinking why couldn't the letter X have it's own book.) Now all we all use search engines to find out anything about anything. There used to be a time when we could trust any fact that our fellow man has stated. One astute friend would say facts like, "did you the know the voice of Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was Uncle Phil from Fresh Prince of Bel-air?" and we wouldn't question our friend, because we couldn't look it up. Technology makes us trust our friends less.

The biggest and most dangerous way that technology has ruined our lives is the use of screen names. Remember those screen names that you had in junior high and that you tried to hide from your employers after college? Though our hidden personas in instant messaging, we can refer to ourselves with names such as aZnSexyBoi1x2x3 when we are in fact, neither asian, nor sexy. Or worse yet, imagine you receive an email from a random person at work:

To: youremail@ email.com

From: hottie26@ email.com

Hey [person],

I saw you today at your office. I usually don't do this but I would really like to get together some time and talk about your outfit. Let's grab lunch and we can talk about what you're into.

See you soon!

Naturally, you're flattered. Not only did someone notice you, but they like how well you dress. Beyond that, she really wants to get to know you. So you respond affirmatively and set the date for Friday at Applebee's. You feel like a million bucks until you find out hottie26 is not a cute girl as you expected, but is actually the new guy at work, who owns 26 ugly ties, but thinks they're all "hot." Technology makes us lie about who we are.

Down with technology. (except when reading our blog)