Although technology has made our lives easier, we are losing some critical skills in the process. Four essential skills, including the deficiencies that are emerging, are outlined.<\/em><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Earlier this week, I listened to an episode of the Tim Ferriss Show<\/a>, and specifically, his interview with Lisa Ling. For those who might not be aware, Tim Ferriss is the best-selling author the \u20184-hour\u2019 series, among others, an entrepreneur, tech investor and podcaster. Lisa Ling is an award-winning journalist, who currently is the host of This Is Life with Lisa Ling<\/a><\/em> on CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n
With all of the typing and texting we tend to do these days, many of us find it easier to type that to write. Occasionally, we might be prepared to jot down a few notes at work, or scribble to to-do list at home, but invariably, we are no longer engaging in long-form writing, such handwriting letters to family and friends. As a result, and for many of us, our handwriting has deteriorated over years, and we perhaps may not even be able to recognise our own handwriting, or to read it.<\/p>\n
Although we might be rueful about the extent to which this skill has been usurped by our laptops and smartphones, handwriting helped us to develop our complex motor and cognitive skills as children. As adults, writing engages the brain and helps us fully flesh out our thoughts in ways that typing does not. So it could be argued that in writing less, we are not fully tapping into our creative and innovative natures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If you are like me, you can still remember telephone numbers from decades ago, but you cannot remember the numbers for people who currently, you call or text frequently. The same goes for number plates. You may still remember the number plates of vehicles from decades ago with which you were familiar. Today, you may just about remember your own, and may possibly recognise a few others when you see them.<\/p>\n
Essentially, we no longer have to make the effort to commit things to memory. However, it also means that losing that skill as well. The question we must therefore ask is, if we do not have access to our phone \u2013 the battery is dead, for example \u2013 which numbers have we memorised to help us in a pinch?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On the odd occasion when you have to do a simple tally, such as balancing your cheque book, or preparing a household budget, or to do some simple arithmetic, do you grab a pen and paper, or your smartphone? Although I doubt you have lost your knowledge of basic mathematics, the truth is that many of us never liked it in the first place, and now are woefully out of practice.<\/p>\n
Once again, in no longer doing basic mathematics without the aid of calculators and on a regular basis, our mental prowess is weakening. We are losing out on the ways metal arithmetic stimulates the brain, improves logic, and improves our memory and our mental health.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Finally, when was the last time you read a book \u2013 from cover to cover? Or even an article that was over 2,500 words? In being so inundated with content, ranging from emails and text messages, to posts and tweets, for many of us, our eyes glaze over if an article has more than four paragraphs, or we even abandon reading the article altogether when we realise it might take a bit more time to complete than we had anticipated.<\/p>\n
In addition to the knowledge and insight that can be gained, reading books and other long-form content improves our powers of concentration to follow the story and to engage in critical thinking and analysis. Reading also improves our memory, and our ability to focus, in order to absorb and process the material we are reading, and also to recall important elements, as or when needed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In summary, and without a doubt, humanity has benefitted considerably from the advances that have been made in ICT. Not only has it made our lives easier, it has collapsed geographic boundaries, and has made all of us on Plant Earth more (physically) connected to each other. However, at the same time, perhaps mirroring Newton\u2019s third law of motion \u2013 for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction \u2013 through this hyper connectivity, content and convenience, some things, and in this case important life and developmental skills, are also being lost.<\/p>\n
To a considerable degree, and within our own ambit, we have the power to make conscious decisions with regard to the things we hold dear, including the skills we believe are important for us to continue to nurture. With regard to technology, it does not mean that we need to abandon it, but we can try to give more careful thought about the quality of the life we want to live, and to be a bit more discerning about when, where and how we use technology achieve that outcome.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Image credit:\u00a0 Gerd Altmann (Pixabay<\/a>)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n