by Jerry Riley

The ease of operating a computerized car scares me. It’s similar to reliance or dependence on my home computer. As long as the computer is a tool we use, well, I’m OK with that. As I’ve observed in other columns, some of the younger generation are getting more and more dependent on technology.

Have you been to a fast food restaurant when the computerized cash register isn’t working? If the computer isn’t working, chances are nothing is working. Many people can’t make change without the machine calculating it for them.  Having the machine do the work does make life easier.

Back to my story. If generations learn to drive with the car telling them when to stop and giving other useful advice, or performing the task for the operator, what will happen when the computer crashes at 70 MPH? Will the car come to a halt? Will the operator be forced to really drive the car? Will the operator know how to or be able to?

In many schools, learning to write has been replaced by keyboarding. Spell check probably takes the place of spelling. Who has ever been misled by AutoCorrect?

Maybe education should stay with the basics, and then graduate to technology. Like my mom told one of my nieces when she wanted a digital watch, “When she learned to tell time on an analog clock, she could have a digital watch.”

I saw a video of a new passenger airplane. The pilot seems to be a computer operator; most things were controlled by a computer. My guess is if it crashes, it will be followed by a bigger one. What a revoltin’ development this is!

Jerry Riley comments for the News Bulletin. He is a retired telecommunications supervisor.

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