Does your computer make you feel stupid?

By James Walsh
Contributing Writer

We’ve all know the experience. You’ve struggled and struggled with getting your computer to do what you want. Millions of people out there are using computers every day, even using the very same programs that you are. They don’t have these problems, right? It must be me. I’m just incredibly stupid when it comes to computers. In fact, I’ll never be good at computers, probably. Something must be wrong with me.

I’ve heard and experienced this monologue thousands of times. In my experience, most people tend to blame themselves when they find that technology isn’t working for them. Self blame, however, isn’t a realistic or useful point of view. Let’s talk about the process of developing technology and about some alternative ways, other than self blame, to relate to technology.
Developing technology is a big topic, but we’re going to cut through to the basics. Technology is developed for one reason: to be used by a human for some purpose. Any technology eventually traces back to some human purpose. We could be cynical about the goals of some of technology, but let’s assume that the technology developers really want to make a good system that benefits those who use it.

Those that develop technology have a lot of challenges. They might be working with unproven methods or tools. They might be under substantial time or resource pressure. They might be nearly completely isolated from the attitudes, views, and needs of those who might benefit from their system. We don’t really know what’s going on for them, but we do know one thing. They are people. Basically, people make mistakes. All kinds of mistakes. Maybe they are just not aware of how their technology will be used. Maybe they’re dealing with all sorts of limitations that we cannot appreciate. As a thought experiment, let’s assume that technology development is like a very big assembly line that twists and snakes all around the globe. Now let’s assume that there are a lot of people standing around this assembly line adding some bolt here or filing off some harsh edges there. There’s no single authority that is controlling the whole assembly line, so some little thing is neglected here or there. By the end of the line, would you be so surprised to see that perhaps there are a few problems with the finished product?

The point is merely that with all the complexity and human foibles in the process of creating technology, doesn’t it seem a tad bit self-centered to blame all the problems you have with technology on yourself? For example, what if you have difficulty pulling your cell phone out of your purse without sending your calls to voicemail? Does that mean you’re inept? Or could that mean that in that entire assembly line of technology creation, no one really carried that phone around in a purse until you got your hands on it? Could it be that those charged with designing and building that phone kept it on their desks, or in specially designed holsters? Or maybe someone spoke up about the problem but it is buried deep in some defect-tracking system because there was no practical or cost-effective way of fixing the problem in time to make the deadline. You could blame yourself for this situation, but that seems a bit unrealistic, now, doesn’t it?

So now that we have some basic ideas about how technology emerges from the activity of people, we can explore some alternatives for relating to technology.

Technology is a demanding friend. Open and friendly, technology is always there for us. Though when it has problems, it requires much attention and reassurance in order to get back on track.  You will never forsake your friend, though you know that your friend would be much more capable if he knew how to stand on his own two feet more often. Crumbling at the first sign of an imperfect situation, your friend seems to be almost trying to make your life more difficult. Your friend could be a little more flexible and understanding with a little more attention to your needs, also.

Technology is an ever-hungry pet. Totally dependent on you, your pet is always staring at you wide-eyed, ready to do your bidding. But it doesn’t really understand your language. You tell it to sit, it rolls over. You tell it to shake hands, it chases its tail. Your pet is cute and helpful. It can point the way to the nearest sushi restaurant. It can help you order a birthday gift for your nephew. It can help you send messages to your family and friends. But in the end, you really can’t communicate with it without misunderstanding. It does what it does and you must accept it for what it is, without expecting it to really solve all your problems. It may keep you up late at night with its ailments or wake you up really early wanting to be fed. It has its own schedule and needs that only you can provide. It takes time and attention to be in tune with this pet.

Technology is a brick. Bricks are really good if you need a brick. If you need a pillow, then maybe a brick will do if you don’t mind laying your head against a wall. Sometimes bricks can have surprisingly helpful uses, like making an exit through a window, or reaching the back corner of the top of the refrigerator. But mostly it’s a brick and if you don’t really need a brick, don’t buy a brick. Maybe you can just stand on your tippy-toes a little. Buying the brick will not really change your life, no matter how many little bullet point features are written on the back of the brick.  There really are 101 uses for this shiny little brick, but will you really use it? Any fancy brick is just a plain old brick if you don’t need a fancy brick. Maybe you’ll be just as happy buying a brick that has only three bullet points of features.

I think you’re getting the point. Feel free to make up your own new ways of relating to technology.  There are plenty of possibilities. So next time you are feeling like blaming yourself for problems you have with technology, remember that there are some other more realistic and practical ways to think about technology. I think you knew that already. You just needed a reminder, a bit of a boost, to change your thought habit. See, it’s already happening.

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