Will There Be Any Geniuses in the Future?

With technology proliferating every single aspect of our lives it seems as though we’re on a bullet train unable to take in the view out the window. It’s all-encompassing and impresses a feeling of obligation in our daily lives.

If you’re not on, doing, or using X, Y, or Z then you’ll be left behind. The FOMO is real!

But I like to draw a hard line between novelty and utility. I’m not afraid of tech. Quite the opposite. I’m a big believer that if tech will make something more efficient I’ll look into it.

But I’ve been thinking lately not only about how it distracts us, but what impact those distractions may have.

Utility versus novelty

As I mentioned, I’m a fan of the utility of tech. Not just the novelty. What I mean is that I won’t jump on something just for the sake that it’s new, cool, or even interesting. It has to serve a real purpose. It can’t just be the latest shiny new thing loaded with more bells and whistles than last year’s version–like the eight or so cameras on a phone.

I look at how tech can improve things the right way. But I also go a step further and think about if something new and advanced will take away the benefit of something else. For example, I’m a fan of processes and what they can teach us. I like to open a bottle of wine with a manual opener, I still buy full albums of music because I like to do deep dives into music instead of streaming services, and if they came up with a pill I wouldn’t have to shave ever again, I’d still shave the old-fashioned way.

The process is important to me. It can teach attention to detail, patience, and appreciation. There are lessons in friction–going through the effort to achieve an outcome. That’s how we grow, learn, and experience the real world.

All the geniuses please stand up

Technology is great. It makes some aspects of our lives easier, more efficient, and more entertaining. Those are given. But it can also stifle growth–human growth.

By not going through those processes, by not experiencing friction and/or pushback we lose something. We are robbed of lessons, growth, and challenges otherwise built into our daily lives.

Tech is also a huge distraction and the go-to option to stave off boredom. In the past, if one was bored they would pick up a book, or guitar, or create something using an unlimited imagination. I believe many kids developed interests, discovered talents, and explored new areas of themselves that had the potential for greater things.

But are those processes dwindling? Are these wonderful moments in life of discovery, imagination, and creativity in danger?

I have a nagging feeling that these important moments and experiences in life are being replaced by shallow, trivial, technology junk food. Scrolling, vegging, and tuning out the world is the new pastime. No deep thinking, no heavy use of imagination, and no exploration beyond comfort zones.

Will there be fewer geniuses in the world? Will exposure to new real-life experiences continue to dwindle? Will life blow past those who are addicted to virtual entertainment and have adopted an apathetic persona?

Disclaimer: I am not trying to project nihilism into the world. I’m an optimist at heart. This is just a concern and curiosity.

What say you? What do you think?