New Technology

Adopting new technology can prove difficult.  My transition from a flip-phone to a smartphone, for example, proved fairly long and often frustrating.  With the camera, flashlight, email, internet browsing capabilities, and standard phone features, I referred to my device as my smarter-than-me-phone.  My interactions with the smartphone saw me incessantly mis-poking at the screen, swiping this way and that.  I was constantly turning the device to change the screen view.

The transition to texting more frequently also proved a struggle.  To this day, I tap all messages out using only my right index finger.  I am incapable of the lightning fast, two-thumb method adopted by more nimble folks.  Early on, one of my buddies overcame his texting battle by using a voice-to-text app.  While this proved handy for him, it became a new frustration for me.  He often dictated his messages and then fired them off to me without checking for accuracy in translation.  I ended up with some strange messages, stuff like this: “Aliens have landed, I will bring baked beans.”  Or this: “Mute us.  We will hack Miss Helena.”

Translation on the last message: “Meet us.  We will hike Mount Helena.”

Fortunately, my buddies texting has improved.  But I am still one-fingering my way into an uncertain smartphone future.

—Mitchell Hegman