Do You Think That Technology Has Eroded The Human Touch?
Context is everything. After all, this is a broad topic. I didn’t intend to write on this topic originally. However, a short morning away from work to reconnect with my family members shined a beam of light into my head. The pursuit of efficiency through technology has its flip-side. This is my story.
I love to work. I want to contribute to others and myself. In fact, I love to work on my work so much that I would rather contribute than to consume.
And I am obsessed with user-friendly technology that pushes the envelope of efficiency. Any form of technology that increases my work productivity will be within my adoption radar.
It doesn’t have to be cutting-edge technology. It can be as simple as a Home-Automation system, such as my vacuum robot. He is white all around, and therefore I named him “Snow” in the software he is connected to.
He deserves credit for doing what he is doing. I don’t mean vacuuming per se. I mean, he does the work that I don’t want to at a push of a button on the software that is nested in my phone.
My mum thinks he is a nuisance because Snow makes too much noise while gobbling up dust and debris along his path. It’s music to my ears.
It is sweet to know that Snow covers my back while I am busy smashing away on my keyboard. I am happy as long as I get to maintain my work momentum without distractions from the presumed necessary evil of housework.
The same goes for the clothes dryer. I live in a country that is hot and humid. When the humidity index is high, and when the Sun chooses to hide behind the clouds, clothes take forever to dry.
I don’t know about your household. However, this phenomenon dictated by geological-physics upset the females in my household. I will hear no end of it in the evening.
What made it so baffling? They have a collection of clothes to wear. If they were to wear all their clothes once before re-wearing their favorite pieces, they need not have to wash their clothes for a year.
That’s why I love the dryer. $1,200 is a worthy buy as long as I do not have to be involved in spreading the clothes out for drying because they are still wet after 1 day of wash.
I throw them into the clothes dryer, push a button, and be back when they are ready. I can continue my work in between the machine-based drying process.
I am happy. I get to focus on my work, and I need not focus on doing housework. Win-win.
However.
As much as technology is a marvel, so are my family members. They seemed disturbed.
For one, my mum never seemed to be pleased with Snow’s contribution to the household’s GDP. Snow does a great job, and in fact, way better than I do. Yet, my mum would often come into my working room to complain about him and get me to vacuum manually.
We used to fight over the activity of vacuuming because I don’t want to do it. Now, we quarrel over Snow.
It annoys my mum when she sees Snow in action. Obviously, I triggered him. She would go on and on about me being irresponsible.
I am baffled.
So, I decided to test my hypothesis this morning. When she pointed her finger at a strand of hair on the floor this morning, I got up from my working desk, walked to the spot grudgingly, picked up the debris, and binned it.
She smiled.
I thought she was nuts.
It was the same with my wife. Yesterday, I threw the clothes in the dryer because they couldn’t wet after 2 days. I pushed the start button and went back to work.
The clothes were dry after 40 minutes. My wife sulked for 4 hours. It is a terrible business case.
So, I decided to test my hypothesis this morning. When she came to my desk and reported that the clothes are still wet after 2 days, I followed her to the kitchen and manually spread the clothes under the Sun with her.
It took 500% more time compared to pushing the dryer’s button.
However, she was happy.
Just like my mum, I thought she went bananas.
Then, I realized one thing.
The issue here is not household efficiency. It is about family bonding. The clothes dryer and Snow does the same job better than I do, obviously.
The real difference is my presence.
That is my point and theirs. I wanted to disappear from the housework scene to focus on my work. They were unhappy because I wasn’t there although I grumble about the housework as I do them.
They were happy that I was willing to partake in the activities with them even though I am unhappy doing them. Weird.
And that is the oscillation between efficiency generated with technology adoption versus human presence and touch.
My takeaway this morning is simple. I can reduce my time spent on housework, but I cannot disappear completely.
My mind has generated a whole new household algorithm. It goes like this.
When there is a strand of hair on the floor — I will go pick it up. Manually.
When there is more than 1 strand of hair on the floor — I will activate Snow to eat it up.
When there is one set of clothes wet after 1 day of shining — I will spread them out. Manually.
When there are more than one set of wet clothes after 1 day of shining — I will throw them into the clothes dryer.
I have made a “commit” command of the latest household algorithm into my head.
From this point, the repository of observational data analysis will start to compile. I will have to refine the algorithm for effective application over time.
After all, I want to focus on my work. Happy family results in higher productivity.
Technology Is An Enabler. Balance It With Human Touch.
Aldric
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About the Author:
As a content contributor, I write my observations from daily life and my business exposure.
Because our life experience is the bedrock of our unique perspectives.
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Because simplicity adds value.
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