A perspective from an alternate universe
The critical issue that many Pizzaonians face is to decide just how much technology they want in their lives. As you know, since we are an alternate universe, our technology is unlimited –virtually anything we want is available.
In the beginning, this was considered a blessing. However, Pizzaonius, our founder, saw this as a curse disguised as a blessing.
As a friend of mine said, “You don’t need it until you have it, and once you have it, you can’t live without it.
Now from the perspective of your world, unlimited technology might seem to be paradise. What is left out of the equation until you face the problem is carefully thinking through how technology changes your relationships - and, eventually the fabric of your social order.
How many of you remember when it was absolutely necessary for people to talk to each other directly? While this was not always as comfortable as you might want it to be, it did have some consolation. You had to learn to get along, or you were in big trouble. And, getting along was much better than not, so you worked a little harder at it.
Now with social media communication dominating so many personal and business relationships you have the illusion of community without any of the satisfactions and trials that only actual, in person community can provide.
Could this be why you have such difficulty in finding consensus?
Oh you still talk occasionally with your friends and family, but somebody is sending those trillion or so text messages every day.
There was one more thing Pizzaonius was very wise about. He knew and understood that the workplace was a major factor in the development of healthy social skills.
What he forced us to do was confront how work relates to the human condition and social viability. We now know technology has the capacity to eliminate work as we know it. If you don’t already know, you will soon, that much of the political and economic turmoil currently being experienced in your world is caused by technology eliminating jobs – jobs that will not be replaced.
The inevitable result is that you will have fewer people working. Add to this, that many folks with paid employment will be working alone in a media virtual work environment with little face to face daily contact. This is not a recipe for developing good social skills.
It was recently written in one of your financial journals that the real difficulty facing the world will no longer be the creation of wealth; technology will take care of that problem. The real issue will be figuring out how to distribute the wealth being created fairly.
Add to this the inability to talk and relate to each other, and you have a real problem. Good luck with this one.
Diverti Mento, editor emeritus of “The Pizzaonian” a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network.
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