It seems as if the world we live in turns each day into an 'app'. If we think about it, now everything has an app. For example Banks, Movie sites, Stores, Restaurants, Health institutions. Everyone has a Smartphone these days and developers are implementing more applications everyday. Where are we going with all of these ingenious apps? In a sort of way it is fine to have some apps in a cellular phone, but having so many companies creating applications for so many different purposes is making this world more and more reliant on technology. Do not get me wrong, technology is a great accomplishment made by the human being, but to a big extent is making our world and our habitants rely all the time on a machine to do everything for us. Where are we all going with it? I will tell you where. Picture this in your head. Every human interacting through a screen or a simple artifact like a watch and seeing people there or even having simulators to make us feel as if we are physically on a place shopping, eating or whatever the case may be. These so called inventions are making us be less productive with our minds and potentials. We are getting so comfortable that some of us are not noticing how bad is going to be for us in a future not distant.
A simple thing as an application on a cellular phone is taking jobs away from people. for example the Starbucks card mobile app might very convenient for someone wanting to pay for a Vanilla Bean, Mocha Frap, Marble loaf, or even a box of gum, but the truth is that if we really think about it, the app is taking a simple job from someone who can do the same by just processing the card or get the cash for that product purchase. In addition, it makes it less personal. I mean tell me which company does not care about customer service. Personally I like when I go into a restaurant or any store and someone approaches me to ask if I need help or is just there to greet me when I order something. Believe the next step is going to be just going into a Starbucks with a bunch of machines and using your app to pay and even order and that machine just gets your coffee ready.
Technological advances are great to certain extent but it is going too far.
Sources:
http://www.appolicious.com/shine/articles/4969-starbucks-rolls-out-payments-nationwide-with-starbucks-card-mobile-iphone-app
http://www.apps-world.net/northamerica/
http://news.starbucks.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=490
Until I read your post I did not see anything wrong with the innovative application in smart-phones that Starbucks is implementing, but now I totally agree with you. Technology has ,little by little, taken away jobs from us. It is only because we rely so much in it that companies like Starbucks keep creating new things to attract new customers. We are connected 24/7 with what is the latest and how we can obtain it. Another example I can come up with is Sunpass. From February 19, 2011 there are not going to be anymore toll collectors. Meaning that because of a new electronic payment (technology) these people lost their jobs.
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