It's the end of the book--not the end of the world, Mr. Postman!

I’ve finished “Technopoly” and my opinions haven’t changed all that much. I really enjoyed this book. It was informative and entertaining, even though I feel that Mr. Postman did a lot of rambling, saying the same things over and over. Sort of like a Doomsday Prophet. For the most part, I disagree with much of what he has said, however, he does make some sense and I have to give him credit where it's due. For example, Mr. Postman states that “our youth must be shown that not all worthwhile things are instantly accessible and that there are levels of sensibility unknown to them.” I also agree that elementary education should place more emphasis on fundamental disciplines such as logic. We do sometimes rely too heavily on technology, and we cannot forget how to think for ourselves.Or to THINK in general.

I’m not going to lose any sleep for fear that technology is going to take over the world, as depicted in movies such as “Terminator” “The Matrix”, and “I, Robot.” However, I think that people do need to pay more attention to WHAT they are doing, and the CONSEQUENCES of their actions. Take for example, the unbelievably sad case of Tyler Clementi. This young man and fellow Rutgers student took his own life after his college roommate and another student captured Tyler’s intimate moments with another man on video, and shared the video/live feed with anyone who wanted to see. This is disgraceful. I’m fairly certain that the kids meant for it to be nothing more than a stupid college prank that would gain them popularity, however, their actions cost a young man his life. His family will never be the same again, and their lives and the lives of their families won’t, either. These kids didn’t stop to THINK about what they did, or what the consequences might be. Internet stalking and bullying is on the rise, as well. Sometimes it’s just too easy to hit “send” or to click through a couple of icons or links, without putting much thought into what you’re doing. I think many of us can say that we’ve had regrets or second thoughts after clicking that “send” button. I know I have. I’ve gotten that sick feeling in my stomach, after hitting send, and then thinking, “Did I send that to the right person?” “Did I fill out the CC/BCC correctly, so everyone doesn't get all the replies?” “Should I have sent that at all?"

Mr. Postman was a very good writer and storyteller. Throughout his book, he makes some valid points, but for the most part, he is very one-sided and comes off sounding a bit paranoid. For example, in Chapter 6, Mr. Postman talks about the dangers of technology in the medical profession. He feels that doctors and surgeons should not be using computers to assist with surgical procedures, and that using machines for making diagnoses is also not a good thing. I disagree wholeheartedly. Machines can guide us. They see things we cannot see with the human eye. Machines break down blood cells to determine abnormalities. Without the diagnoses made largely by machines, we cannot have the treatments.

One thing that does concern me a little bit, as both a healthcare provider and a healthcare consumer, is the computerized charting/electronic health records used by most hospitals now. For the most part, I am “for” their use. There are definitely more pros than cons to their use. It’s a lot faster, and records are easily accessible to physicians and all members of the multi-disciplinary team. Data is much easier to locate on computerized charts than it is on paper charts and finally, handwriting can often be difficult to read (especially that of doctors!) Computerized charting eliminates the guesswork and possibility of any misinterpretations, as well as saves time when you don’t need to call someone to ask them what the heck they wrote on such-and-such a patient. I can't tell you how many times I've had to do that in the past. It's a colossal waste of everyone's time, and time management is essential.

However, we do need to consider those cons: It is just too easy to go through the motions, becoming lax by clicking away, without putting much thought into your documentation (which is legal and you are held accountable for). Electronic health records are also not hack-free, therefore, your privacy may be compromised. Finally, what happens when the system crashes, and you can’t access the records? Then what???

I really do not believe that technology is the enemy, destroying traditional culture and creating a culture without a moral foundation, as Mr. Postman did. My concerns lie with the humans using the computers and not the computers themselves.