Progress Was Better Before They Improved It

Progress Was Better Before They Improved It.

I have nothing against progress. Some of my favorite things are the result of progress. Indoor plumbing, air conditioning, and television remote controls come immediately to mind.

My complaint is with improvements that make simple things complicated.

Once upon a time, you flipped a switch and the light came on. Now you need a smart bulb, a wireless connection, an app, a password, and permission to accept cookies. If the internet goes down, you may have to sit in the dark until a teenager comes over and reconnects the lamp.

We used to buy appliances with two controls: on and off. Now the washing machine has more computing power than the spacecraft that went to the moon. It plays a cheerful little tune when it finishes, but it occasionally refuses to wash clothes because it needs a software update.

The automobile has joined the act. Cars now beep when you change lanes, beep when you back up, beep when you open the door, and beep because they’re worried you haven’t been beeped at recently enough.

Technology was supposed to save us time. Yet everyone is busier than ever. We spend the time we saved resetting passwords, downloading updates, and trying to reach a human being in customer service.

I’m not suggesting we abandon modern life and return to washing clothes in the creek. I’m merely asking that an improvement actually improve something.

If the new version takes longer, costs more, and requires tech support, perhaps the old version wasn’t the problem.

The Old Curmudgeon

PS: This column may require an update. If it stops working, unplug it and try again.