Thursday, August 2, 2007 at 2:02am
Technology is a spiritual issue
Column: Spiritual Psychology
At one time a new technology lasted for generations. And job skills in the past often held up for a person's entire working life. In today's world of rapid innovation the turnover rate is constantly speeding up. What was new and cutting-edge a few years ago may be obsolete today. One financial analyst commented that the half-life of a new technology is about five years, when it starts to fade.
The dizzying world of obsolescence was called to my attention recently when a teenager laughed at my "dinosaur" MP3 player that's the size of a small portable CD player (the CD player an even more ancient relic). My "antique" MP3 player is from the bygone year of 2002 - yes, just five years ago. It was quite impressive at that time, with its 20 gigs of memory. Now, of course, an MP3 or iPod player can fit in the palm of your hand — some are the size of a thumbnail.
Many baby boomers in their 40s, 50s and older are intimidated by the fast pace of technological changes. It makes them feel left behind in the crusty past. Often they throw in the towel on keeping up and resign themselves to being "out of it."
Social commentators conclude that technology is one of the great divides between young and old. The young embrace it; the old shun it. In other words, young people are hip, with it — they're happening. And the old? Well, they're passé. So, "move over, older folks (40-something and beyond). The young people are coming with their new ideas, new technologies and new gadgets. We're the 21st century people. You're the fading past." Think again!
Let's put this "I'm with it, you're not" stuff in perspective. What if we were all marooned on the proverbial island — really marooned? Not like contestants on popular reality television shows with provisions and production staff standing by off camera. How much of our modern technological world could any of us, young or old, reproduce? Let's face it — most would be hard pressed to rub two sticks together to make a fire. Who could construct a car, computer, motor, my "antique" MP3 player, or even a simple crystal radio? Forget it. Reinventing an abacus, known to ancient civilizations for mathematical calculations, would be a technological challenge and out of reach for almost everyone. How about the wheel? Maybe. But that would only get you over to the next cave where you'd probably be living. A few clicks of your computer mouse and you can capture the world. Marooned on the island, you'd be lucky to catch a larger relative of the mouse for a delectable dinner, if you could figure out how to do it.
So, let's not get carried away with how modern some of us are and how old-fashioned the rest are. In truth, we are all interdependent and part of a large family. We stand on the shoulders of every generation that preceded us. Almost all of us are consumers, not innovators.
The spiritual issue here is to recognize the principle that the material world is constantly in flux, while the inner subjective force (known by many names) is universal and unchanging — it's the force that produces external changes. If you understand that, there's no reason to throw in the towel — just go with the flow. Changes are just as much part of your consciousness as anyone's of any age — if you understand who you really are!
In one sense, though, all of us — young and old — are old-fashioned. Human behavior hasn't changed much, despite the vast superficial technological changes that make us appear different and advanced on the surface. Hatred and violence are as rampant today as in the days when we were cave-dwellers. That's an arena where real progress should be No. 1 on our agenda for innovation — people of all ages need to join hands and "get with it." How does that compute?
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Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches psychology and leads the Spiritual Forum at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" will be published by Rowman and Littlefield in October 2007. His email address is {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © copyright 2007 by Bernard Starr.
The dizzying world of obsolescence was called to my attention recently when a teenager laughed at my "dinosaur" MP3 player that's the size of a small portable CD player (the CD player an even more ancient relic). My "antique" MP3 player is from the bygone year of 2002 - yes, just five years ago. It was quite impressive at that time, with its 20 gigs of memory. Now, of course, an MP3 or iPod player can fit in the palm of your hand — some are the size of a thumbnail.
Many baby boomers in their 40s, 50s and older are intimidated by the fast pace of technological changes. It makes them feel left behind in the crusty past. Often they throw in the towel on keeping up and resign themselves to being "out of it."
Social commentators conclude that technology is one of the great divides between young and old. The young embrace it; the old shun it. In other words, young people are hip, with it — they're happening. And the old? Well, they're passé. So, "move over, older folks (40-something and beyond). The young people are coming with their new ideas, new technologies and new gadgets. We're the 21st century people. You're the fading past." Think again!
Let's put this "I'm with it, you're not" stuff in perspective. What if we were all marooned on the proverbial island — really marooned? Not like contestants on popular reality television shows with provisions and production staff standing by off camera. How much of our modern technological world could any of us, young or old, reproduce? Let's face it — most would be hard pressed to rub two sticks together to make a fire. Who could construct a car, computer, motor, my "antique" MP3 player, or even a simple crystal radio? Forget it. Reinventing an abacus, known to ancient civilizations for mathematical calculations, would be a technological challenge and out of reach for almost everyone. How about the wheel? Maybe. But that would only get you over to the next cave where you'd probably be living. A few clicks of your computer mouse and you can capture the world. Marooned on the island, you'd be lucky to catch a larger relative of the mouse for a delectable dinner, if you could figure out how to do it.
So, let's not get carried away with how modern some of us are and how old-fashioned the rest are. In truth, we are all interdependent and part of a large family. We stand on the shoulders of every generation that preceded us. Almost all of us are consumers, not innovators.
The spiritual issue here is to recognize the principle that the material world is constantly in flux, while the inner subjective force (known by many names) is universal and unchanging — it's the force that produces external changes. If you understand that, there's no reason to throw in the towel — just go with the flow. Changes are just as much part of your consciousness as anyone's of any age — if you understand who you really are!
In one sense, though, all of us — young and old — are old-fashioned. Human behavior hasn't changed much, despite the vast superficial technological changes that make us appear different and advanced on the surface. Hatred and violence are as rampant today as in the days when we were cave-dwellers. That's an arena where real progress should be No. 1 on our agenda for innovation — people of all ages need to join hands and "get with it." How does that compute?
— — —
Bernard Starr, Ph.D., formerly professor of developmental and educational psychology at the City University of New York, now teaches psychology and leads the Spiritual Forum at Marymount Manhattan College. In addition to his work in radio, he is a longtime contributor of commentary and opinion articles to numerous major publications. He is also the main United Nations representative for the Institute of Global Education that founded the Mucherla Global School in Mucherla, India. His book "Escape Your Own Prison: Why We Need Spirituality and Psychology to be Truly Free" will be published by Rowman and Littlefield in October 2007. His email address is {email OmniCns@aol.com}OmniCns@aol.com{/email}. © copyright 2007 by Bernard Starr.