The Dangers of Intuitive Technology

So simple a child could do it

Welcome back to The Workbox! I am glad that you made it back! If you missed last week's post, you can check it out here. If you want more than that, feel free to browse the whole archive of posts by clicking or tapping here.

This essay focuses on this idea that has been ruminating in my mind for a while now. It will center around the questions, "Is technology too intuitive?" and "Does it stunt the growth of our children?" These questions have been rolling around in my mind as I think through my technology use and wrestle with my future children's technology usage.

---

Questions:

Let's take these questions one at a time. First, "Is technology too intuitive?" This question arose as I witnessed little kids and toddlers using smartphones and tablets. As I researched for this article, I found that more children (3-17) use social media and the internet every year. Inversely, the experience that they have is increasingly negative and less social. The children surveyed were found to use the internet for more personal consumption reasons than in previous years. Also, an increasing number of younger kids, about 27%, were unable to discern fake social media profiles vs. real ones.

Why is this relevant? It is essential to realize that technology is made to be used. It wants to be used. Especially products like Apple are designed to be intuitive and likable. As children and people use technology more and more, studies show that attention spans are decreasing, among other adverse effects. This is just the beginning of many downsides to the improper use of technology. But the main one I want to focus on is the intuitive nature of our ever-advancing technology.

Culture of Complacency

Tech creators claim their software is so intuitive that even a child could use it. As more apps are developed and aimed at teaching kids how to use technology, the more children use tech. These kids, on the surface, learn how to keep up with advancing technology, but at what cost? The enticing and addictive nature of apps and smartphones is only recently being spoken against by those who made them. (Think the social dilemma). Does this incredibly easy-to-use and intuitive technology hinder our mental abilities? If it is so easy a child could use it and spend thousands of dollars in minutes on accident, do we need to spend all of our time on it? Just because a device gives us access to all the information in the world does not mean we become more intelligent.

The abundance of comfort technology creates a complacent culture. These devices succeed in eating the elephant one bite at a time. They have eaten a few minutes here and a few minutes there, and before we know it, we have lost a whole day or several hours. These devices offer an illusion of control. Simple design, fast connection speeds, affordable price, these seem like pros that we select, or are they cons that control?

We have lost some (or all) of our hardness. Life is comparatively very easy for most people in the day and age. The economy seems to think “what will make life easiest?” rather than “what is best?” The simplicity of technology creates an soft mind, since there is little challenge or learning curve. Obviously, there are advanced technologies out there, but I am focused on smartphones and products aimed at the everyman. Where did all the hard-work go?

Vanity Fair in your Pocket

My mentor wisely said, "We have Vanity Fair in our pocket." The place of idle delusions and fatal attractions resides within arms reach. These things are ever-advancing in ease of use, comfort, and accessibility. We must use wisdom and self-control in how we approach technology. These are tools, not lifelines. Especially when it comes to our children, but also for ourselves. With the increasing list of issues arising from overusing smartphones and social media, I am less inclined to use them.

There are 6.84 billion smartphones in the world. Chances are you own one. So, the question becomes, what do I do? Do you throw it out the window and live by lan-line? Do you shrug your shoulders and claim that you absolutely need one and it cannot be avoided? Or do you batten down the hatches of your mind, heart, and eyes and make a plan for how you use it? As Christians, we face the problem of living in the world but not being of the world. We live in the chaos and darkness of the world, but we do not have to participate in it. Sometimes, we can get caught up in the destruction, but we do not have to cause it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I am on my own journey in how to use this technology. I have not reached the end of it, and I do not plan on reaching the end quickly. Christian had to go through Vanity Fair. Maybe that means we are in an unavoidable season of life. However, we do not have to cave to the demands of the times. What it does mean is that we need to set our minds on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. We are not of this world, we are sojourners here. We can use the tools of this life for the glory of God and his kingdom. But we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

---

Here are the resources that I researched for this article. I specifically looked at articles that addressed children. I did this because of my own growing family and children are the coming generations. Feel free to peruse them!

1. https://www.wgu.edu/blog/impact-technology-kids-today-tomorrow1910.html#close

2. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2020/07/28/parenting-children-in-the-age-of-screens/

3. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0027/255852/childrens-media-use-and-attitudes-report-2023.pdf

4. https://explodingtopics.com/blog/smartphone-stats