I'm going to be thirty-seven on August 24. Depending on how old you are, they could seem old or young. Even though I always look forward to birthdays, I feel like "the world got itself in a big hurry," to quote The Shawshank Redemption.
So, does that mean I feel old? I guess, maybe? I don't know. Here are some things that make me yearn for simpler times, though.
Chat GPT
This can just get a virus and go away and die already. I already felt behind the eight-ball because I didn't learn about this lovely little man versus machine program until an AP Lit PD in June. While everyone else prattled away, I nodded, pretending to be in the know. When I discovered what it was, I was appalled. I copied and pasted a retired AP Literature essay prompt into the Chat GPT box, and within seconds, it spewed out a full-length essay that was better than what some of my students would turn in.
First off, what are they doing to humanity? That may sound extreme, and maybe they asked the same question when they got rid of telephone and elevator operators, but this is another level. I emailed OpenAI and asked why they would install this function, but of course, I got no response. I was reminded of that quote from Dr. Ian Malcom from Jurassic Park, "Yeah, yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."
Just because they were able to engineer this component of ChatGPT, why did they? It only forces those in education to work that much harder to crack down on cheaters and gives students all the more reason to skirt their responsibilities.
Smartphones
I'm over them. I wish we could return to calling cards and pay phones, or at least your 'dumb phones' that only texted, called, and set the alarm. Again, the almighty dollar won out here with the best advertising campaign that hypnotized everyone, "You'll need it in case of emergency." The ironic thing is you got by just fine without them.
It makes it near impossible to teach a generation of short-attention-span teenagers who are glued to their phones every few minutes in a country that cannot enforce phones in classrooms. Or how often do you notice drivers swerve all over the roads because they have to get out that one extra text message?
And when you really think about it, how many things are there to do on your phone? Why do we need to check our emails, social media, apps, etc., every x amount of minutes?
QR Codes
I know this is strange, but I miss restaurant menus. I like something you can hold in your hand and flip through. I don't like seeing a symbol that reminds me I'm in a futuristic world where I'm once again a slave to my cell.
Can't we just do anything without those pesky devices? I guess that's all I have to say about that, but I miss the old way of doing things.
Showboating in Professional Sports
Okay, this definitely makes me sound old. I know, I know. You see it in just about every sport, except maybe golf or hockey. A baseball player hits a home run and then puts on some ridiculous costume in the dugout. An entire football team poses for the camera after a touchdown. I mean, come on. Just play the game. You're not in the movies.
I remember watching sports in the nineties, and at least in baseball, these occurrences just didn't happen. Maybe in football, but I don't think even there. I get that it's for fun. I get it. I get sports changes, but that doesn't mean this soon-to-be thirty-seven-year-old has to like it.
Ads, Ads, and More Ads!
When YouTube first started, it was the Wild West. There were no ads. A lot of young ones probably don't realize that. Many times when you visit a site, you could use their services for...free! You didn't have to create an account or password.
When you went to US Cellular Field to watch a one-time respectable White Sox team, they actually had the great players pasted on the outfield fence instead of ads to annoying companies. And before that, companies didn't bother touching classic named fields like Comiskey Park.
Everything is about money and attention, and look at me! I know I am posting this on social media and whatnot, but I am also hoping to share my views with you for a purpose, not to sell to you.
What Else...
I know there are many other things, but I cannot think of them right now. I will always be young at heart. I play with Lego, for goodness sake! However, as the world continues to change, I have a hard time changing with the world. If you have anything that annoys you, feel free to share.
To search for Kevin Patrick Kenealy's latest thriller, peruse either Centuries & Sleuths Bookstore in Forest Park, Barbara's Bookstore in Orland Square Mall, Anderson's Bookshop in Downers Grove, or The Book Dragon in Stockton-on-Tees, England.
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