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I am a Baby Boomer. I prefer that term to septuagenarian. For some unexplained reason I have spent quite a bit of time recently thinking about the immense changes with which we Boomers have had to cope. Some changes have been good, others not so good. It is for sure that change will continue.

There will be no stopping the breakneck pace of change in the technology sector. While it has brought a lot of convenience to our busy lives, it has also brought loneliness, a constant demand on our time, and an epidemic of depression. I believe God meant for humans to be social beings. We used to know, care about, and watch out for our neighbors. We knew their stories. Our parents didn’t have any more free time than parents have today. They simply prioritized their time differently. Service clubs, like Kiwanis, Rotary, and Lions are a perfect example. In the 50s, 60s, and 70s, in Battle Creek, MI. there were hundreds of civic minded people who came together in an effort to make our town a better place. Today, these clubs are experiencing withering membership. That’s not because they are needed less. It’s a shame because I think many of the people experiencing symptoms of depression might find club membership cathartic.

We had friends, real flesh and blood friends, we engaged with face to face. When meeting a new person, we made eye contact and delivered a firm handshake. We said yes ma’am and yes sir, to our elders out of respect. We enjoyed listening to uncles, aunts, and grandparents talk about ‘their’ good old days, like I am doing here about ours. But when grandpa chose to fudge the ending of a story to create a happy ending for the kids, he didn’t have to worry that someone might factcheck him on Google. Perhaps because many of our parents were depression babies, we fixed things rather than discard them. Most of us can navigate from where we are to where we want to go, by using an Atlas. (Look it up kids). We aren’t easily bored because we understand that it is okay if things don’t happen right now.

Patience, it is said, is a virtue. We Boomers must be a virtuous lot. Not so much by choice mind you, by necessity. We had one TV in the house. Unless you were wealthy, it was a black and white set with two antennas called “rabbit ears” to aid in reception. We could choose 1 of 3 available channels that were replaced by the RCA “Indian Head” test pattern. No TV after midnight. If we missed an episode of “Bonanza” on Sunday night, too bad. No taping, no streaming, we had to wait until the summer reruns to catch up.

Our first telephone had a wire attached and required lots of patience. We started out with what was known as a “party line”. There were 3 or 4 families on each line. If we wanted to make a call, we had to first check to see if the line was being used. The wait could be long if two grandmas were on the line bragging about their grandchildren. Obviously, privacy was not an option. There was no way to prevent anyone on the party line from listening to our conversations. The next “breakthrough” came in the form of a private line. Just one user. Eventually, answering machines allowed callers to leave us a message if we were away. Callers then waited for us to return their call. We rarely made long-distance calls. When we did, we waited until after 7:00 PM when long-distance rates were cheaper.

Then, seemingly overnight, a switch was flipped. In our drive for more things, we have become more selfish with those things and with our time. We no longer know or watch out for our neighbors. Suddenly, going to church or giving 50 hours a year to a local service club became too onerous. Should we choose to reduce the time we spend scrolling on our electronic devices by just 5% we would find the time for both, and more. Young people have more opportunities on the phones in their pockets today than ever before. Still, they are bored if not being entertained for 5 minutes.

Because younger generations spend their social lives online, their social skills are woefully sad. Their unwillingness to make eye contact, limp-wristed handshakes, and an inability to carry on a person-to-person dialog has diminished their personal social skills. They are more comfortable communicating with their screens than with people. Younger people act burdened when they are asked to spend time with elderly relatives. Elders are treasure troves of historical information. We should all spend more time with them, taking copious notes of their irreplaceable memories. I am a firm believer in the saying: It is impossible to know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been.

Technological advances now allow us to watch multiple TV stations on one TV at the same time. We can now record, then binge watch an entire season’s series one after the other whenever we choose. There is no need for patience as we can now watch any episode of any program any time we want. We no longer have to wait for reruns. We can even skip the commercials! While that technological convenience can reduce the need for patience, it can cost hundreds of dollars a month. Elders can fill in the blanks and help us learn where we have been.

Changes in telephony have continued to the point where patience is almost entirely a thing of the past. We can call anyone, anywhere, at any time, for no additional charge. It is possible to talk to multiple people at once while looking at them on your phone. We can leave text messages to people we prefer not to talk to. This creates a new impatience as those leaving the texts get very upset if they aren’t returned right now, or sooner. What about privacy? Back in the day we were concerned about 3 or 4 families who might be eavesdropping on or calls. Today, we have no idea who is listening. Last week, while in PA., we passed a field that looked like sorghum. We talked about it for just a couple of minutes. My wife’s smartphone was in her purse. The next day she received a couple of posts discussing, you guessed it, sorghum. “They” ARE listening! And remember, when you post anything, it remains out there . . . forever. Our time saving, convenience producing, devices have become expensive electronic leashes.

It is now a common occurrence to hear people talking to their machines and to hear their machines answer. It is not known what changes AI technology will bring. There is no doubt it will bring untold changes to every part of our lives. The benefits seem unlimited while its potential malevolence is terrifying. (If you haven’t seen the Sci-Fi movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey, tell your TV you want to watch it. For goodness sakes, if it says no, get out of the house)! Only time will tell if the benefits outweigh the negatives. Until then, enjoy locking and unlocking your house, turning on the furnace, and preheating the oven, etc., using your smartphone. But I warn you, don’t use the microwave while naked.

I hope you enjoyed my latest romp down memory lane. If you are a Baby Boomer, you’ll be familiar with most of the above. If you are the child or grandchild of a Boomer stop laughing. Once in a while my children and grandchildren get a real joy out of teasing me about my lack of tech savvy. When they do, I remind them that I was partly responsible for teaching them how to use a spoon.

Thank you, Bob