Is technology turning you into a PR robot?

 25th June 2014    PR Guru 

I used to be OK at numbers – but using a calculator for the last 20 years has killed that. I used to know most of my close friends' phone numbers – now I don't even know my own. And at school I took great pride in always being in the top three in my form's weekly spelling test.

But alas, all this has changed. The mind has become something of a vacuum.

Are you turning into a PR robot too? Here are the warning signs:

You never switch your phone off

Why do you need to have it on all the time? Worried that you can’t function without your trusty mobile side-kick? Then perhaps your dependency has got out of hand.

You can’t remember your schedule

If you need an electronic diary to tell you what you are doing from one hour to the next, perhaps you should practice trying to remember things. This can hurt, I warn you.

You no longer bother trying to spell correctly

Who cares whether you know how to spell, when trusty spell checkers and predictive texting will sort it all out for you? Problem is, sometimes technology can let you down by inserting words that don’t make any sensuous, sorry, sense.

You never read anything on paper

Why look at paper, when you can look at a screen? Moving images may be more exciting, but it would be a shame to lose out on the pleasure of reading well-written prose. After all, look at the drivel you are wasting your time reading now! You could be reading Jeet Thayil’s Narcopolis, (I had to check online how to spell that name of course).

You can’t work if the internet is down

I can’t either. The thought of just relying on what is in my head is scary. But on the other hand, I would probably get twice as much done if I wasn’t constantly checking “facts” online.

You have forgotten how to speak

When you want to contact a friend (or heavens, maybe even a contact), do your palms sweat at the thought of calling them on the phone? The problem with relying on texts and emails all the time is that you forget how to hold a proper conversation. If you want real relationships, you have to engage with people. Virtual relationships are a poor substitute.

You can no longer count

How often do you check your change in a shop? Too much like hard work? If taking away from 100 is getting too much for you, then perhaps it is time to do some sums as a first step to getting your brain back. Just don’t ask me to check your answers, I gave up counting years ago.