MUSINGS The magic perambulator

MODERN LIFE Newfangled gadgets have their benefits, but there can be a human-contact downside.   

The magic perambulator


The Circling Fin
Fin Keegan

When we watch an old movie in which the frustrated lovers might have been spared a lifetime’s heartache with a simple text message, we are reminded of the technological revolution we have been living through. From wheels on our suitcases to quick-boil kettles, the ways in which Applied Science has impacted our lives now seem uncountable.
Becoming a parent vividly dramatises the transformation. When fatherhood dawned eleven years ago, I was amazed at the number of labour-saving devices available to parents. In my own childhood, the family perambulator was more like a vintage automobile than the space-age strollers on offer today.
But, since that ancient era (the 1960s), teams of scientists the world over have been dedicating themselves to minimising inconvenience – knowing that new parents will spend any money to keep Baby smiling. Sometimes, indeed, new mammies and daddies have been known to go overboard: When our eldest was born, his wet wipes passed through a warming device before being applied.
So pervasive is technology now that it is fast becoming invisible. In times past, high tech was invisible for a good reason: It wasn’t there. Look at how much work – before dishwashers and microwaves and washer-dryers – our grandmothers did just to keep the family healthy and presentable.
So tiny is circuitry now that the work of electronic devices will soon be indistinguishable from magic. In fact, the e-readers and tablet computers popping up around us are much the same as the living and moving books lining the shelves of Hogwarts, where, not so long ago, Harry Potter was schooled in wizardry.
There are downsides to this revolution. Nowadays, using machines, it is entirely possible to go to town, do all your shopping, pay some bills, and even stop for a snack, without experiencing a single moment of eye contact, let alone a friendly word or impromptu conversation.
The elderly and alone are particularly vulnerable in such a world. Those of us coming from homes or offices buzzing with activity might not notice the drop in interaction. But if your only domestic company is a radio or television set, there is quite a difference – the difference between a day spent in isolation and one featuring some form of human connection.
Once, waiting in hospital, I watched a frail patient being wheeled around by a young orderly whose conscious attention was exclusively directed towards his smartphone. In days gone by, their shared journey might have been an occasion for conversation. Humans are not generally hermetic and, most of the time, need social stimulation to stay healthy and happy.
Anyone who knows me knows well that I would be lost without my own devices – beeping incessantly to remind me about bin collections and swimming lessons – so as much to myself as to yourself I feel bound to say: Be careful how you use the manifold and marvellous Gifts of Science. Even magic perambulators come at a cost.

Fin Keegan is a writer based in Westport. This column is based on his weekly radio essay, heard on WRFM on weekend mornings and online at thecirclingfin.com.