Are you a luddite?

Say what?

That was my reaction when I heard the word. Not being familiar with it I informed myself. The term was coined in England in the 1800s when Ned Ludd led workers to destroy new machinery because they feared it would replace them. Sound familiar?

Today, a luddite is a person who is slow to adopt new technology or is even afraid of it. Well, I said to myself, it could be me. With clarifications, of course.

Let’s start with the fact that way back then I was one of the first in my area/group, to have a computer at home. At that time some people were sure that computers were just a fad, something with no lasting use, but these machines were great as far as I was concerned. Of course, the bulky first ones pale compared to today’s sleek portable models that can do anything, or so it seems.

Computers have evolved at neck-braking speed and have resulted in countless technological innovations. Today, we are all connected whether it be using a phone or a wristwatch. However, before adopting anything new, I like to take my time to see where it will lead us. With years of experience to my credit, I know that because something in new, it does not necessary mean it is better. And do we really need to update phones every time a new feature is offered?

I cannot wrap my head around pictures of people waiting in line for hours, often in cold or rainy weather, for stores to open so they can have the pleasure of being the first ones to own a new phone, a new gadget or a new device. It seems to me that waiting a few days after the crowds have left would be more sensible.

For my part, I much prefer being at home reading a good book until I have proof that the latest innovation is worth all the hype.

While the internet is a wonderfully informative thing, I also believe that we should all acknowledge its dark aspects – porn and terrorist information being just two. And I am always conscious that emails should not be opened blindly because some of them can cause an awful lot of trouble by stealing personal information or by dropping viruses into your computer

            No doubt the negative side of today’s communication ease still prevents me from banking on line. A nice clerk at my bank showed me the steps to follow, but there are so many reports of hackers accessing governmental and business data that I fear that the hacking of banks can only follow at some point.

If that makes me a luddite, so be it.