Gimme a minute… my processor is slow
I don’t know about you, but I need time to think.
If you’re on high speed internet, or if you grew up watching Sesame Street, you’re used to information fast! It’s been occurring to me that part of the “rage” we see in lineups, or on highways, or in vehicles or movie theatres has to do with the immediacy of information retrieval.
For instance, I’m not on high speed internet. While I listen to everyone rave about it, I wonder if it won’t end up just causing me to eliminate the “pauses” in my life. Even more information, even faster.
Pity the ponder. It’s a word whose meaning is quickly disappearing.
This came to light the other day when my daughter asked me a question. Her last word was barely out of her mouth and she was hounding me for an answer, some response. I couldn’t even “hmmph!” fast enough. I ignored the question, pointing out that when I’m listening, it takes time for her information to get processed in my cranium, an answer formulated, the messages sent through nerve impulses (albeit, slower nerves than hers), and back to my mouth for an answer.
She was expecting high speed internet.
So, I’ve been conducting my own test these days… watching people ask questions, and noting the immediacy with which they expect a response.
It’s inhuman!
I wonder if it’s going to reduce us to a series of multiple choice responses.
It might go like this:
Daughter: “I need to use the car to drive to Newmarket to look for shoes.”
Mom: “C.”
Daughter: “Can I use your colour printer for my job resumes?”
Mom: “E.”
Partner: “Are you doing the groceries Friday night or am I?”
Me: “A.”
The possibilities are limitless.
The younger generation will have the immediacy of response that it so craves. And the “older” generation (how did that happen?!) will be fulfilling expectations without over-extending the cranium trying to compute the question and then the answer.
It’ll certainly cut down on the rage, the sighs, the frustrations with the fact that I need time to think.
I think it’s got possibilities.