What does "easier" even mean, anymore? All the time, the world of technology is constantly changing, being altered, being updated. Its the thing to have the latest technology, to be completely up to date on the options that are available to us out there. For years now, the only Apple product I've opted for is the iPod, because I love music and I love the entertainment that the apps can provide for those small little spaces of unoccupied time, such as taking the bus to the grocery store or waiting in the dentist's office. And the iPod can't change much from here on out without becoming another device that Apple already manufactures. You can't make it a phone, because then it's an iPhone. You can't make it bigger, because then it's an iPad, making the need to buy the new model completely null.
iPhones and iPads are constantly being changed and altered with new models and software coming out every couple of months. I'm scared to death that if I purchase an iPhone, two weeks later, there's going to be a better one out on the market that I'll wish I had waited to purchase. Now granted, there is a certain amount of responsibility that lies with the consumer. My TCOM teacher last semester had a saying he was fond of: Caveat emptor, which is latin for BUYER BEWARE. This would involve doing some research about products before you buy, reading customer testimonials and researching if there will be any new models coming out in the near future.
This idea of things becoming "easier" is changing just as often as the technology itself. When the idea of what would be easier is realized, it is no longer the standard for what would be easier, because now, there is an even easier way to do it. It just hasn't been realized or enacted yet. As technology continues to progress, I fear that it is dumbing down the masses, whether intentionally or not. I am a big fan of editing software for video and music and I remember when I got Windows 7 and saw how completely elementary they had made the video editor that had come preinstalled. It was easy for me to teach myself to use the old software with practice, but the software had become so inane that I was literally "too smart" to figure out how to use it. It was far too simple. I had to purchase a higher end software so I could understand it.
So now the question I pose to you is: When does "easier" become unnecessary? When will the human race finally be content with how simplistic things are in this world of Google and automated teller machines. Will they ever be? Or are we facing the slow decline of our world as we know it?
I feel like this question is like asking "why do we breathe?" It's not really something you think about, it has always been such an integral part of our lives. As human beings, there is never a time where we want something to be more difficult. Making something easy usually means we can work more efficiently, leaving us with more time to do other things.
ReplyDeleteYour discussion about things becoming "easier" is not accurate since it is no longer "easier" because it has been replaced by other technology didn't quite make sense to me. "easier" is in standard of whatever previously existed, of course it doesn't take into account the future simplification of the same product. I think this is why we say "easier" rather than "easiest" because we know there is always an easier way, we just haven't figured it out yet.
To answer your question: There is always an easier way to do something, and we will always try to find that route.