Are We Too Dependent on Technology?
I attended a meeting at my local weight management group. I am a member for life and still enjoy support and networking and sometimes I get good article ideas. Today my idea is not from the topic of the meeting, but from what is happening.
This organization automated the operation of the main “storefront” location with computers several years ago. The remote locations that they rent only for meeting times, such as in churches and fitness centers, are not automatic. So clearly there are still procedures for running meetings manually, but the automated center no longer provides supplies for this and some staff members have never been trained, or have long forgotten, manual procedures.
Today the computer is dead, and even with the help of technical support, staff cannot fix it at the end of the meeting. They weigh people manually and sell products, but the presence and sale of products is not recorded. That’s a problem because the staff gets a commission based on the presence and sale of the product! This will also cause a few problems for members who don’t pay monthly prepayments, because next week the computer will charge them for the week that was missed and the receptionist needs to replace the bill.
As a former employee, I like this technology because it increases accuracy and saves time. But I feel it reduces the human element. The receptionist is now very busy looking at the computer screen, scanning things, and clicking options (when the computer …
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