If you’re around a kid, you realize how technologically gifted they are and how woefully behind you are.

When I want to do something complicated on my phone, I hand it over to my 9-year-old grandson. He’s handy with technology and isn’t afraid to tap buttons until he finds an answer.

If he can’t figure it out, the task passes to his oldest sister. She’s 16 and whizzes around the phone screen like a speed skater at the Olympics.

There’s a new product on the market now, the Rabbit A-1. According to the company, the Rabbit A-1 is the simplest computer and does everything without having to find an app on the phone screen. They claim you don’t need to learn how to use it. Just talk to the Rabbit A-1 and it learns as it goes.

That would be something new for moms of teenage boys.

On the Rabbit A-1, there’s no balancing apps and logins – ask for what you want and let the device delivers. No scrolling around, trying to remember where you stashed that grocery store app.

The Rabbit A-1 does it all with no buttons and is billed as a companion.

Let’s see – a companion that doesn’t talk back, does what you want immediately with no questions asked and never wants to borrow your car keys.

I could get used to that.

We rely so much on technology, but we’re slowly losing the ability to think for ourselves. Instead of Googling what’s the capitol of Arkansas, I need to rack my brain to come up with the answer.

It’s Little Rock, by the way, and I didn’t need to look that up. Okay, I did double check my answer online.

But there’s lots of facts and tasks I want to do without the aid of a computer. I’d like to think I could get some of the answers on “Jeopardy” without the help of an online search engine.

I hope I can still name all four of The Beatles, remember the distance in a marathon is still a little over 26 miles and George Washington was the first president of the United States.

My son often calls me for advice when their toddler is sick. My remedies include Vick’s Vapor Rub and a humidifier. Ginger ale and crackers are a go-to for getting through a stomach virus.

I can still read a paper map – and fold it back up – and I know how to put windshield wiper fluid in the tank. I don’t have to check YouTube for how to set a table properly because my grandmother taught me how to do that years ago.

Text messages are fine if you want to pass on a quick message, but nothing beats a person-to-person visit, or if distance is an issue, a phone call. I could get the grocery store to deliver a bag of sugar if I run out, but if I go across the street to my neighbor’s house, I get to visit with them while borrowing what I need.

Technology does make a lot of things simpler. A calculator is a godsend for people like me who are math-challenged. YouTube has saved me money and time when something breaks, although I miss calling my dad or Uncle Jim for advice.

We can’t stop the wheels of progress, but we can decide to observe from the sidelines instead of jumping on the fast track for every shiny new gadget that comes along.

I believe that’s the stand I’ll take.

Every time, I’ll take human companions over a computer and, occasionally, trust my instincts. Besides, I’d much rather talk to my neighbor over a cup of sugar than I would have an app order it from the store.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.