RSSThe psychology of technology
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Herb Blisard and Barb Engvall are educators. But that’s where the similarities end.
He doesn't own a cell phone or a computer; she's never without her iPhone. He doesn't have voice mail or e-mail; she makes friends through the Internet.
He shuns technology. She embraces it. And both are happy with their choices.
"This is my role. This is the character I'm playing," said 74-year-old Blisard about his reputation for avoiding technology. "I don't think I'm missing out. If so, I don't know what I'm missing."
According to a 2006 study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, Blisard and Engvall's reactions to technology aren't that unusual. The national survey polled more than 4,000 adults on their attitudes and use of technology -- from surfing the Internet to posting a blog.
About half reported using the technology occasionally, if ever. One-third were deep users, mostly using technology to socialize or increase work productivity.
The remainder, about 20 percent, either relied on mobile devices for voice, texting and entertainment or found information gadgets to be a hassle.
As to why people can develop extreme responses to technology, Kevin Desouza has his own theories.
"Age doesn't matter, or gender or what kind of profession you're in," said Desouza, an assistant professor in the Information School at the University of Washington. "People are now making conscious decisions one way or the other. Before, it was just 'let me try something new.'"
More than two years ago, when he was running a global strategy consulting company, Desouza had "every gadget in the world." But when he began to teach, he deliberately made some changes.
He uses technology at work. At home, though, he goes without cable television, the Internet and his cell phone. That's how he's achieved balance.
"Technology is more of an interruption than an enabler," he said about his own life. "A lot of people make a crucial determination on whether technology enhances their world or is a disturbance."
Desouza has conducted a few studies on how technology affects small to medium-size enterprises, looking, for example, at how executives interact with technology and why grocery stores and restaurants often operate without it.
Most of the time, he said people's personalities come into play. If they're big multi-taskers, he said they're more prone to use a variety of gadgets. But if they're inclined to focus on one activity at a time, they're more likely to be uncomfortable with technology.
People's use of technology also depends on whether they believe it'll invade or improve their lives, he said.
"I think I've found my comfort zone," Desouza said. "Balancing between the two extremes is quite tricky."
Blisard, a mass communications and photography teacher at Yakima Valley Community College, is content with his ways.
If he needs to do research online, he can have somebody do it for him. Secretaries will deliver messages on paper instead of sending e-mails. And he corresponds with people by using a Royal typewriter -- a machine he's owned throughout his 47-year career at the college.
What's more, he said students clamor to take his black-and-white photography class. There's even a waiting list.
"It's a new sort of art form. They don't get tired of creating these images," he said. "Personally, I just want to play in the darkroom. I don't need a digital camera to know photography."
Blisard said he's not afraid of technology; he just has no use for it. He finds e-mails and voicemail to be impersonal, and he believes students taking online classes probably don't have much fun.
Blisard said people shouldn't worry about him. Instead, they should question why some people prefer the convenience of technology over human contact.
"They're not smelling the roses. They're not looking around them," he said. "They are just on a wire, looking at something else. I think they are missing a hell of a lot."
Engvall disagrees. As a librarian at John Campbell Elementary School in Selah, technology is a central part of her life.
She drives a hybrid car. She uses iPods, digital cameras and scanners, and she works with computers at home and at school. She has Windows software on her sewing machine for embroidery work, and with her iPhone, she can access her e-mail, take photos, get travel directions and check the weather.
Even with all the gadgets, Engvall said she still enjoys curling up with a book and unplugging from the world.
"I take plenty of time to smell the roses," she said, adding that at 56, she still remembers doing without all of these modern conveniences. "I embrace technology as a tool, not as a crutch."
Before cell phones, she said, long-distance calls were rare because of the expense. If she got a call, she automatically assumed it was bad news.
Not anymore. Not only does she call people whenever and wherever she chooses, she no longer has to worry about bill payments or letters getting lost in the mail. She can do all of that online.
She's also met hundreds of people through her online user groups, whose members give her advice on sewing, literature and other topics.
"Now I have friends all over the world who I never would have met otherwise," she said. "You don't get the face-to-face contact, but it certainly broadens your horizons."
People who don't like technology probably don't see the need or the value in it, she said. That may be fine for them, but not for her. She appreciates how technology has improved the quality of her life, and she can't wait to see what comes next.
"I want a robot, someone to wash, dry and fold clothes," she says, laughing. "Who knows what all the labs are doing."
* Erin Snelgrove can be reached at 577-7684 or esnelgrove@yakimaherald.com.
