Utilitarian Computing

Here's a thought that I don't think deserves a full article. I say with literally five article drafts sitting around. I, uh, yeah. I have a big doing-things problem.

So, computers. Let's take a 1980's or 90's perspective of it. They're a thing, in your office, that you use to accomplish tasks. You might have a home computer, and you might do hobbyist things with it, but it's ultimately a nice tool to manage finances and write things in Word and whatever.

Compare that to today where it's staggeringly easy to live online. Social media, chatrooms, etc. You could easily use the internet at a replacement for an actual social life. And you kinda *have* to in a pandemic, let's be honest. Yes, I'm aware chatrooms and BBSes existed earlier, but if I'm not mistaken they were usually more of a supplementary thing? Forums existed for particular hobbies, they existed to connect people already interested in a real-world thing. I don't think the trend of being "always online" was a thing before social media got huge.

It would be nice to sorta push back on this computer-as-a-lifestyle thing and somehow promote more utilitarian computers. Computers as a sometimes thing, used to accomplish goals. I realize given the current political and social climate that's a really big ask (dang suburbs ruining my mojo) but still. I am really starting to think that humans are really really not meant to live entirely on the computer. They need to live in reality, be around real people they enjoy.

...that's it, that's the thought. Short and simple I suppose.