Technology gets smarter. We get stupider.

We can't put groceries away without the refrigerator telling us the doors are open.
"We know! We know!" We constantly find ourselves yelling at this inanimate object. We're being reduced to idiots because of some manufacturer's penchant for making all things beep to remind us of every little action we take.

It's not just refrigerators telling us we're idiots. We recently remodeled our kitchen and upgraded most, if not all, of the appliances. Now we're the proud owners of an orchestra. Beeps everywhere. The oven lets us know when it's hot enough. Microwave letting us know the leftovers are at a tolerable temperature. Dishwasher letting us know the dishes are clean. Coffee yelling to us upstairs that our coffee is ready.

"Shut up already!"

Arrow Pointing to car saying "You are here".If the culprit reminding us of all this mundane stuff were human we would have to fight the urge to wrap our fingers tightly around the subject's neck.

Convenience? I think not! It would probably be better termed as annoying.

Do we need these constant reminders? I'd rather be dealt with the loss of a lot of food and thereby lose money by forgetting to shut the refrigerator that one time. I can guarantee you, I will henceforth be cognizant of the door status of my refrigerator. So annoying do I find this particular technology that I did break out the tools in search of the speaker that pumps out that beeping sound. But to no avail. They've hidden it somewhere where it would necessitate schooling to learn to dismantle and then rebuild the source of this agitation.

And where do these brilliant minds come from who design these things? Are they so oblivious to these annoyances that they cannot install a simple shut off switch on said items. Or even a timer where we can choose when the beeper comes on. For my liking a timer that operates on a yearly scale would suit me.

Face it! While technology gets smarter, we get dumber. And it's by our choice. We don't want to think anymore. We want short cuts. Get me to my destination faster. Without me having to think. GPS my way through life so I don't have to read the instructions. I don't need a map anymore. I don't need books. I've got "Google". I've got Wikipedia. Reduce me to just a drone who follows the "beeps" and "prompts" of life's joystick.

We even enjoy sounding stupid. Text messaging reduces the english language to just hints of what we're trying to say. And what are we saying in these text communications? What is so important that people are getting into car accidents due to this phenomenon? What is so important that it can't wait until you're face to face with the individual?

I don't know. I have no answers. I just find myself venting here. The only thing I am certain of at the moment is that . . .

. . . my refrigerator doors are closed.

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