Old man stuck in his ways vent

[GaryPassamonte]

To many of you this will sound like no big deal. It will just be the experience of an old man not willing to keep up with the times. To me it is kind of a big deal because of the impact it has on the way of life I have had for almost seventy years. I will start out by saying I don't have a smart phone. This is a personal choice I have been content with for a number of years. My flip phone is satisfactory for what I need to use it for. Now for my experience. I am going to the National tomorrow. A couple weeks ago I decided to buy tickets for the Thursday night game between the Tigers and Guardians. I purchased the tickets using Seat Geek which I had done a number of times in the past. They had always sent me an email with printable tickets. I printed the tickets and presented them at the game and all was well. Imagine my dilemma when the email I received only provided an app for the tickets. I am and choose to remain "appless". I went to the Seat Geek home page and eventually got into a "chat" with Luis. Luis basically told me that Seat Geek no longer used paper tickets and, since refunds were not given, I was SOL. I prodded him for a phone number which he provided. The customer service number he gave me sent my to Frederico who is based in El Salvador. Frederico said he would check into my problem and get back to me in two hours. I'm still waiting. I called customer service back later in the day and was told by the customer service rep to just bring a copy of the email Seat Geek originally sent me to the game and I would be admitted. After what had transpired the past two to three hours with this ticket transaction, I was skeptical about her proposed resolution. I then called the Cleveland Guardians and spoke to three people over the next two days. At first I was basically told that since I didn't get my tickets through MLB, I could again be SOL. I persisted and was told by the representative that he would look into this further. I called back a couple hours later and eureka. I was told that the Guardians would accommodate me. However, there would be a $5 charge per ticket to have them printed. I accepted this resolution. I was told to find a stadium employee when I get to the game and they would direct me to someplace behind left field where, apparently, a temporary ticket office is now located. We'll see how this plays out tomorrow. What used to take me two minutes had taken me about four hours over two days.
Today I received a generic email from the Guardians telling me among other things that Progressive Field does not accept paper tickets. See above, we'll see tomorrow. And on top of this to make my game experience enjoyable, the email said that Progressive Field is cashless with only credit and debit cards accepted. I guess that is just another nail in the coffin of the fun experiences I have had for many years going to baseball games. I hate to say it, but this will probably be my last major league game. By the way doesn't our paper money say that it is good for all debts public and private. Maybe I'll bring that up tomorrow IF I get into the game.

[cubman1941]

Gary,

I sure can relate to you. I tell people I am the only person in the world without a cell phone of any kind. I understand the use of them and why people who work need them in todays world but I have been retired since 1996 and have no use for them. Fortunately the last game I went to, my son-in-law set it all up. Interesting, we went to breakfast at a local place, sat outside and had to use the phone to access the menu. I ran into this one other time when my wife and I were traveling and went to get something to eat in the airport. Since we didn't have her cell phone with us, after about 10 minutes we just left and went to a fast food place. Anyway, we dinosaurs are being left in the dust and our money with us.

Jim

[GaryPassamonte]

Originally Posted by cubman1941

Gary,

I sure can relate to you. I tell people I am the only person in the world without a cell phone of any kind. I understand the use of them and why people who work need them in todays world but I have been retired since 1996 and have no use for them. Fortunately the last game I went to, my son-in-law set it all up. Interesting, we went to breakfast at a local place, sat outside and had to use the phone to access the menu. I ran into this one other time when my wife and I were traveling and went to get something to eat in the airport. Since we didn't have her cell phone with us, after about 10 minutes we just left and went to a fast food place. Anyway, we dinosaurs are being left in the dust and our money with us.

Jim

What bothers me most about the whole experience is what it reveals. I choose not to have a smart phone, just as you choose not to have a cell phone. I'm sure there are many people that can't afford a smart phone. Also, there are many people that don't have a bank account and don't have a debit card or a credit card. Are these people excluded from access to a game and/or excluded from buying a hot dog and pop at a game because they are poor. This is wrong.

[jayshum]

The stadiums I have been to that are cashless had machines that you could put cash in to put onto a debit card for use at the stadium kind of like a reverse ATM. I haven't had to deal with trying to use paper tickets so can't comment on that.

[GasHouseGang]

I guess what this also means is there won't be any new tickets to collect for the ticket collector crowd out there.

[bnorth]

You are not alone. I am going to The Strongest Man on Earth strongman contest next month. The only way to buy tickets is BLEEPING e-tickets. You have to use the AXS app and it doesn't display a bar code. It is some stupid thing that changes every 30 seconds. Should be awesome fun on my cheap POS Tracfone when I enter the event.

Then even better I am staying at the Hilton across the street from the venue. You pay for self parking by scanning some BLEEPING QR code thing in the parking lot.

[Jewish-collector]

I completely agree. We can commiserate about it tomorrow night at the dinner. beer chug.gifbeer chug.gifbeer chug.gif

[NiceDocter]

This is a version of me , my beeper, my flip phone, my landline at home, and my fax machine. Basically took a few steps into technology but stalled out 10-20-30 years ago. The world is changing. Your choice is suck it up and move ahead a bit or get left in the dust POed for the rest of your life (and it will only get worse). I will never be at the forefront of these advancements but as the telecommunications companies and others gradually stop supporting the old systems, they won’t even be a viable option at all soon. I guess this is what our parents and grandparents went through with cars vs horses, television vs radio shows, no more ice man, milk man, laundry man, …… as the Chinese Curse goes “May you live in interesting times!!” I feel your pain my friend.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I have no choice because of work, but if I had one, I could see not having the latest tech. I hate the effect it has on younger people who seem to look at their devices half their waking lives, or more.

[z28jd]

My dad stopped going to the local minor league team games because the stadium went cashless. He didn't want the hassle, plus the stadium started adding on fees for using cards, even though you have no other option.

I stopped going to games due to the cost. Some of these teams are out here charging more for parking than decent tickets should cost. MLB is already a huge money grab, they shouldn't be making it inconvenient to take our money. One day they are going to price themselves out of the range of the average fan. My brother makes good money and he's down to one game per year over the last two years, after doing between 10-20 each year for around ten years. He said he will go if his team makes the playoffs.

[bmattioli]

Guys, It's 2024 not 1974.. Update and enjoy,,

[SyrNy1960]

I will be 65 soon, so I do understand your frustration. Technology changes daily and it’s difficult to keep up with it as we get older. But I enjoy having an iPhone. Can take pictures, FaceTime with the grandkids, access the internet, on and on. I’m actually typing this using my iPhone on the couch, while watching the Yankees and Mets game. I had to have an iPhone in my job in the Navy, so I have been using it for a while. But I do get your point.

[drcy]

Old Man Stuck in a Vent: Story at 11

[LEHR]

Originally Posted by z28jd

My dad stopped going to the local minor league team games because the stadium went cashless. He didn't want the hassle, plus the stadium started adding on fees for using cards, even though you have no other option.

I think that's pretty common now. I go to a lot of Salt Lake Bee's games (Angels AAA affiliate) and they have been cashless for a few years. There are no added fee's though that I'm aware of.

[parkplace33]

While I can see your side, I would encourage you to not be dismissive of new things. I just don’t want you missing out on experiences.

[tiger8mush]

I feel ya Gary!
I'm slightly younger (will be 46 next month) and have never owned a mobile phone of any kind, though my wife and teenage kids all have iphones.
When I go somewhere alone (concert or sporting event or DMV etc) I have to plan ahead accordingly, just like you.
It started as a joke back in the day when friends/co-workers would tell me I HAVE to get a phone. Getting married? HAVE to get a phone! Having kids, GOTTA get a phone!
Maybe one day ...

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by parkplace33

While I can see your side, I would encourage you to not be dismissive of new things. I just don’t want you missing out on experiences.

I always loved the printed tickets as a memento of going to a game, that's not even an option now. Still have the oversized tickets from the SF Giants 3 world series titles.

And for gosh sakes, cant I just give you $8 cash for that hot dog while I am there?

I understand a cashless society avoids petty theft from an employee but it would be nice to at least have the option.

Maybe we'll be reduced to the local little league games if we want to pay cash.

[G1911]

One may and should live however they like, but if one does choose to live many years behind the times, they really should not expect the outside world to cater to their way of living. If one will not use modern technology, that's a fine choice to make, but the resulting difficulties are not anyone else's fault or problem. One cannot reasonably expect the rest of the world to not progress with newer tools. The poor guy getting paid $20 an hour to check tickets doesn't need to get a lecture about this:

Originally Posted by GaryPassamonte

By the way doesn't our paper money say that it is good for all debts public and private. Maybe I'll bring that up tomorrow IF I get into the game.

[4815162342]

Imagine what dead-ball era fans would have thought of paper tickets with barcodes.

Also, imagine how future fans will react when we refuse to take Elon’s brain implant.

[samosa4u]

I'm 40 and I don't have a phone. If I really need the phone, then I just borrow my father's! He is the same age as the OP, but he always wants the newest things so he can look cool! We are the same shoe size (10.5 - 11) and sometimes he wears my Air Jordans!

Anyways, my old friend up in Newfoundland was going on a trip and stopped by Toronto for a few days. He reached out and asked if I wanted to see Jays vs. Yankees game and I was like HELL YEAH! The last time I saw them was when they had Jeter and ARod! Plus, I really wanted to see Aaron Judge and Juan Soto!

So I ordered the tickets through Ticketmaster and in the past I usually got an email where I could just print them. However, this time they made it clear that I could no longer do that and needed to use a phone. I did not need to download any app, but I did have to log-in to my Ticketmaster account through the phone so I could scan the tickets at the entrance. So yeah, you do need an Internet connection on your phone, unless you can use Wi-Fi there or something ... dunno ...

[BioCRN]

I'm in my late 40s, but I do have one "you kids get the hell off my lawn" phone trait...if you text me and I need to text you back more than a few words, get ready for a phone call. I know much older people with much bigger texting tolerance and even preference.

MLB app on a smartphone + unlimited 5g = games anywhere there's a signal, live. I'm in for that aspect aside from phone calls as a reason to have a smart phone.

Directions/maps on demand with specific needs (restaurants/gas/etc) is magical when you're in an unfamiliar area.

I can survive well without any of this, but the price is reasonable for the value added to my life.

[IndyDave]

The Thursday Tigers Guardians game is at 1:10 pm

You said Thursday night. Not sure if you know that it’s an afternoon game. Not really sure you can do the National and the game on Thursday

[Mungo Hungo]

Originally Posted by G1911

One may and should live however they like, but if one does choose to live many years behind the times, they really should not expect the outside world to cater to their way of living. If one will not use modern technology, that's a fine choice to make, but the resulting difficulties are not anyone else's fault or problem. One cannot reasonably expect the rest of the world to not progress with newer tools. The poor guy getting paid $20 an hour to check tickets doesn't need to get a lecture about this:

Well said. I'm struck that the OP is so so frustrated with being inconvenienced by the modern world, but at the same time steadfastly refuses to consider getting the very gadget that would alleviate his frustration. With all of the frustrations that arise out of things we can't control, it seems odd to me to purposely add one (or many) arising out of something we CAN control.

[Steve D]

I had the same thing happen to me last year. I'm a 61 year old disabled veteran.

I tried to buy a ticket to see the Padres play in Houston, and found out they no longer email printable tickets to you; it's all electronic.

I, like you, do not own a smart phone. In fact, I have only an old-fashioned land line. I have no family or friends who I need to be in constant contact with, and I refuse to have my life ruled by a telephone, especially when having one means your every move can be tracked for nefarious purposes.

So, MLB has determined that they don't want me, or people like me, to give them my money, so to Hell with them!

[GaryPassamonte]

Originally Posted by IndyDave

The Thursday Tigers Guardians game is at 1:10 pm

You said Thursday night. Not sure if you know that it’s an afternoon game. Not really sure you can do the National and the game on Thursday

My mistake. I do know it is a day game. I didn't plan on attending the show today.

[ALBB]

I get it, but feel one must keep up with times

[steve B]

I can see both sides of this.

Forcing someone to spend 300+ on a device because emailing a printable ticket is too hard or something is not great.

They probably had too many people buying one ticket and printing extras, a problem that was rare with actual physical tickets.


I have a smartphone, and it has its uses. I can access my checklist spreadsheets from anywhere, which is handy. and I can take pictures of stuff easily.

The most recent concert I went to I had the printed receipt from the online ticket purchase. Which I had to take to the box office where they gave me -I for get which- a printed "ticket" or a physical ticket.


Cashless is weird. I finally got used to using my card for most stuff, just in time for my two favorite restaurants to stop taking cards and adding an ATM.

The game I went to in Worcester recently was ok with cash. But they didn't have vendors in the stands, you had to go to the concession area.

I've been unclear on if cashless is even legal for years. The bills say right on them they're legal tender for all debts public and private.

[Keith H. Thompson]

1. have an i-phone. no land phone.

2. have a single credit card.

3. carry about four hundred dollars in greenbacks at all times, often thousands.

4. carry my checkbook at all times.

Merchants try to defeat me, but I make it hard for them. On the other hand, Gary has been my kind of guy for many years (Shriners Card Show) , and I respect his thoughts.

[mybuddyinc]

Put me in the "old school" club also ...........

I'm actually proud to say I really don't even know what an "app" is .......

No so, Fun, Fun, Scott

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by drcy

Old Man Stuck in a Vent: Story at 11

I have been stuck in that vent for years, with no news crew in view.


Brian

[jakebeckleyoldeagleeye]

I had to live by a phone for 26 years on my job due to being on call all the time and I don't have a cell phone and it is true bliss in retirement. Threw away the alarm clock also!
I figure it like this:
Washington didn't need one to found a nation
Lincoln didn't need one to save a nation
FDR, Churchill and Truman didn't need one to save democracy
And Kennedy didn't need one to save the world
So I think I'll be alright so all you other folks can live with your eye glued to one.

[Seven]

Speaking as a younger person (Just celebrated my 30th birthday a few months ago):

I hate the fact we practically have nothing physical or tangible anymore. Tickets have gone by the wayside, I used to love saving stubs of games I went to as a kid. As someone that is firmly up to date with everything modern, life just seems so much more complicated. Everyone can be reached, anytime 24/7, 365. Which is ridiculous in my opinion. It has erased any sort of work/life balance there once was.

We are too reliant on technology as a society. I swear I'm sure 90% of the population would lose their minds if the internet went out for more than a couple of hours.

[butchie_t]

My other hobby is Ham Radio.... and it is interesting to me the comment similarities that I am hearing here.

I tend to live on the edge of technology. Sometime the leading edge, sometimes the back edge. I echo a number of things here and lament how sports events have given way to electronics transactions. Thing is, as has also been mentioned here, is the cost.

Now, for me, it is cheaper to watch what I can on streaming services verses going to an event live. I am the common fan and the prices to events is beyond my reason to pay for. I cannot support it nor will I pay for it. It makes absolutely no sense to me to pay a stupid price just to park and I'm not even inside the event yet.

I am a geek and have all the latest and greatest tech toys only because I have to keep abreast of things due to my current work. But if I had the option, I would not have as much as I do have now. I find myself having to register for this and sign up for that way more than I feel comfortable doing.

But if this is the only way I can get access to what I want/need, I suck it up and do what I need to do get what I want. I hate the information that I have to put on these sites just to get the access but I do it anyway.

It sucks....Period.

Butch

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I have no choice because of work, but if I had one, I could see not having the latest tech. I hate the effect it has on younger people who seem to look at their devices half their waking lives, or more.

And most of their walking lives too...it definitely can be a navigational challenge when encountering one of the headdowners on the sidewalk.

Brian

[paul]

I sympathize with Gary. But you should know, it could be much worse. I recently visited China, and they are completely cashless. You have to buy EVERYTHING (groceries, restaurant meals, bus tickets, cabs), with a special app on a smart phone. To make matters worse, you can only download the app if you have a local Chinese smart phone. And you must link the app to a Chinese bank account. This obviously works out real great for tourists. As far as I can tell, there are only two work-arounds for tourists. You can either travel with a tour group where the tour company pays for everything, or you borrow the phone of a local (and figure out a way to reimburse them).

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by paul

I sympathize with Gary. But you should know, it could be much worse. I recently visited China, and they are completely cashless. You have to buy EVERYTHING (groceries, restaurant meals, bus tickets, cabs), with a special app on a smart phone. To make matters worse, you can only download the app if you have a local Chinese smart phone. And you must link the app to a Chinese bank account. This obviously works out real great for tourists. As far as I can tell, there are only two work-arounds for tourists. You can either travel with a tour group where the tour company pays for everything, or you borrow the phone of a local (and figure out a way to reimburse them).

OMG is it a PIA. Especially being here and trying to take care of family in China. That and they pretty much all still believe is psychics and have other beyond silly beliefs. We can't even find a home health company that will take care of one parent because the ashes of the other is in the house. Sorry for the rant but venting some frustrations helps. Lets get back to complaining about old man issues here.

[pawpawdiv9]

47 this year--- i bought my 1st phone about a yr ago. Had to because of work & doctors.
Dont use it much as for calls, but i get to look at my emails, and websites like this anytime. I get tons of spam and Trump text.
Note, a few yrs ago i went to a resturant in Florida, had to have a phone in to place a order...so we walked out.
And i see some have 'kiosk' screens at fast-food places to order.
SHEEZ, i am old school too!!! I PAY CASH!!!

[Mike D.]

On the "cashless" at the ballpark....I went to Fenway Park a few weeks back, which also says it's "cashless" - which it is...at the concession stands, team store, etc.

The vendors walking around all took (and appeared to prefer) cash, though.

The cashless thing at the concession stands was to a fault...at the game, my son wanted a fried dough, so I handed him $20 and he headed off. He came back a little while later with a fried dough...and my $20. Apparently the concession stand had no ability to take cash, and as a 12 year old he didn't have a credit card on him. So, they just gave him the fried dough and told him next time bring dad.

So, with literally no way to accept money, they ended up just giving the product away. Crazy!

[Mike D.]

I must be a "backwards curmudgeon" - I had zero interest in a cell phone UNTIL it became a computer in my pocket. I carry my iPhone everywhere, but I can't think of the last time I used it as a phone other than to call the doctor's office for an appointment.

BEFORE it was a computer, the selling point was "it's great, it's a phone you carry in your pocket and people can call you no matter where you are". To me, that sounded awful. Now, being able to keep tabs on work emails and check baseball reference from the bar...THAT is handy.

The whole "app for everything" is lame, though...for most things, a web page will do just fine...don't need to download a million things you use 1-2 times a year.

[BobbyStrawberry]

I always prefer paper options for these things as well. What these companies won't tell you is the reason they are doing it: they make money by harvesting your personal data and selling it. They want this data and so make it inconvenient to impossible to get around.

And much respect to OP for having only a flip phone - I would do this myself if I wasn't so addicted to my smartphone!

[Hankphenom]

People will adapt, especially youngsters who will take it all in stride just like we did hooking up stereo stuff and other things that baffled our parents. But is it better? That I can't answer, all I know is that instead of playing pickup football or basketball or reading on the couch like we did, kids nowadays are doing whatever on their phones. Doesn't seem like an improvement to me, and I'm very happy to have lived when I did without these things. Nobody had an answering machine until I was 40--how in the world did THAT work? You left a note or called back later, that's how. Logically, some important messages went unrecorded, no doubt, but I'd be surprised if a single person in the world ever said, "f**k, this is intolerable!" Its just the way it was, and the world went on. Much less complicated, that's for sure. Better? I have no idea.

[JollyElm]

A few years ago, I eased into having a cell phone. The key word there is "having."
It's good to be able to be reached (or be able to reach out) wherever you are. However, I refuse to be a robot who stares at it all day long, and unless it's entirely necessary (like clicking on a food item at Safeway to see if I get a deal on it), won't use it for anything my functioning brain can already handle.

So, I guess it's a happy medium.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

While I would have given anything to have been born about 70 years earlier to bear firsthand witness to so many things which matter to me, as a middle aged guy, I often think back in sheer gratitude that I was born when I was. My era has straddled so much interesting world development: sometimes wonderful, others scary.

To think I started out in a world where nobody I knew had a computer and still relied solely upon imagination to play as a child.

Devouring untold thousands of books as a teenager and young man as opposed to using a fairly useless internet that was just in its most basic infancy.

Understanding the immeasurable beauty of libraries and used book stores.

Travelling all over the world without a phone or GPS (or sometimes, even a functioning gas gauge); just good old Rand McNally to help me find my way. Getting lost on trips was time consuming, but it helped me to engage with people to ask for directions. Once in a while, I made a friend becuase of it.

Never making hotel reservations ahead of time was sometimes a pain when one couldn't be found, but a lot more freeing than having every moment of every day pre-planned because it "provides more security". Yeah, I've had to sleep in the odd church, farmer's fields or on a slab of concrete when a room wasn't in sight, but the stories are priceless!

Outside of work obligations, I tried having a cell phone once or twice, but it did nothing for me, so they never took. I spent years fighting the smart phone revolution, as I just saw rooms full of people not communicating with one another. While I'm no social butterfly, the whole thing just seemed rude and inward to me. Then, I got one. Now, I'm just like everyone else. I've adapted and am afraid that I'm so sucked in that it no longer bothers me quite as much as it truthfully should.

To the handful of guys here without such gadgets, I commend you. You're better people for it, and I have a feeling we just might get along if we ever met.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Nice post. We sure did manage to navigate without a device, didn't we? My kids have no sense of direction whatever. And I'm also from the generation that read books, and wrote letters. The only thing I will say for the phones and devices is that it's probably a good thing for someone to be able to reach you urgently, and vice versa. The worst aspects are the antisocial behavior you mentioned, and also it seems to me they have generated a culture where people expect instant gratification. I mean I would write a letter to someone and expect to hear back in a week or two, and it was fine.

[Leon]

Originally Posted by Keith H. Thompson

1. have an i-phone. no land phone.

2. have a single credit card.

3. carry about four hundred dollars in greenbacks at all times, often thousands.

4. carry my checkbook at all times.

Merchants try to defeat me, but I make it hard for them. On the other hand, Gary has been my kind of guy for many years (Shriners Card Show) , and I respect his thoughts.

Very nice, Keith. Eleven more years and you are at my longevity goal of 104 yrs old.
I almost never used a cellphone and never texted until my wife passed away over 4 yrs ago.
I either sucked it up or lose most communication with my 27yrs old daughter.
.
.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Wow, Leon, I must have missed the sad news about your wife. My belated but very sincere condolences.

Where has the time gone? I'm forever envisioning your daughter as being around 11, as you once shared a photo of the two of you way back when. 27?! Guess I got stuck in a time warp.

It's truly amazing how, although many of us have never met, we've known each other for just a staggering amount of time thanks to the forum.

[ocjack]

Grew up during a time that parents simply told us to be home before the street lights come on.
Flash forward to a sales rep telling my company that they had a new machine that could send a copy of a letter from Los Angeles to New York in about an hour (they called it "flashmail"), we now call it a fax, and it's quicker.
Had a phone that was hardwired into my car. That was great technology ( I thought).
Finally bought a flip-phone and after many years ventured into the smart phone era.
I try to remain computer literate, but it's been a long, strange road I've been on. I miss the simpler times.

And Leon, also except my belated condolences on the loss of your wife. I was so sorry to learn that.

[ajjohnsonsoxfan]

Originally Posted by bmattioli

Guys, It's 2024 not 1974.. Update and enjoy,,

This. I hope no matter how old I get I'm open to new technologies and can change with the times. Hoping my kids are patient enough with me to get me set up for the metaverse, AI powered x ray vision or whatever else I'm having to deal with in the year 2050

[GaryPassamonte]

I got back from the National late this morning and am reading this thread. There are so many great posts that better illustrate my thoughts. I realize that times do change and we all need to adapt, but it's not just the smart phones that are the issue, but the fact that a way of life is passing away. I'm sure my father felt the same way, as did his father. However, no matter how much we are told that people like change, my life experience tells me that most do not. In addition just because technology can make processes more efficient and expansive does not mean that the ultimate result is positive on mankind.
Before I forget, I did get actual tickets just like I used to get years ago. When my wife and I got to our seats, a couple women sitting behind us noticed the tickets and lamented about once collecting tickets and now not being able to do so. I gave them one of our tickets to take home. The ticket provided a tangible memory of the game and day for them. I figured it was my good deed for the day. I could go on, but I have to take all those paper receipts I got at the cashless concessions stands and enter then in my checkbook to make sure everything balances to the penny. For those that don't understand this task, it's something old people do to make sure they know how much money they have.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by ajjohnsonsoxfan

This. I hope no matter how old I get I'm open to new technologies and can change with the times. Hoping my kids are patient enough with me to get me set up for the metaverse, AI powered x ray vision or whatever else I'm having to deal with in the year 2050

As long as we can pick and choose which technologies we want to incorporate into our personal lives. I love the internet, ebay, online bidding with auction houses, email, paypal, and etc.

My cell phone gives me only what I want - phone service, internet connection, texting, built in camera, music player, picture and file storage. If I take a picture of a restaurant menu barcode, all I get is a picture of a barcode. My phone is not listening to me, waiting for verbal commands. I don't want my phone to be "smart."

It's nice to be able to access my health records and banking and mortgage information online. But in the past few years, I've been notified, two separate times, that a company servicing my mortgages was hacked, and my personal info stolen. So, I have Lifelock/Norton for some security. My email and 3 of my old, obsolete passwords are out on the dark web.

Overall I think tech advances are a very good thing, but rather than just getting caught up in the tidal wave, I think the key is to manage one's tech involvement and exposure in a way that is comfortable.

I don't have a gps system in my car - I use maps and directions. I do not talk to my car and it does not talk back to me, besides various beeps for doors ajar. I can't imagine bringing a listening device like Alexa into my home, or for that matter, anything voice activated, except maybe an external ring security doorbell system. I don't do facebook, twitter (X), instagram, tic toc, because I don't want comments of a personal nature preserved forever.

I post here because I don't see any downside and it's interesting and fun.