The next human evolution?

I love talking to my uncle Mike -- an auto mechanic from upstate New York -- about technology and the internet. His experiences online are limited (but more than you'd expect for an old guy), yet he always provides a good analysis into the usefulness of new offerings on the web. He loves to talk about his online stock trading site, some how-to sites, and a handful of e-stores. I remember something that he told me in 2000 or 2001: "These days you can do so much on the internet, one day you'll never need to leave the house! Everyone will just sit on their butts and live and work through their home computers. We'll be a society of computer geeks with weak bodies and oversized heads...like aliens!" I had a mental image of all humans looking something like this guy in the photo.

The funny thing is, Mike's foresight didn't seem too irrational. Already, I was doing most of my communication with out-of-town friends over the internet.  The internet was where I bought most of of my electronics and all of my plane tickets. It was where I was banking and paying my bills. Piece-by-piece, my brick-and-mortar errands were disappearing with each instant message and e-ticket. I could do almost everything from my computer room!  I wondered how long it would take for my head to outgrow my favorite ball cap.

But what Mike and I didn't plan on was the rapid development of mobile technology. All of the sudden we were able to do everything from anywhere. No longer were we restricted to the bat caves to which we expected to be damned for all efficient eternity. With wi-fi hotspots popping up like weeds and cell phone data plans, we could be out living our lives without compromising our new dependence on the net.

I believe that our natural human urges to travel, socialize, eat, drink, and be merry will ultimately drive our enhancements to technology and software. As much as Mike may think we'll evolve to greyish brain creatures, I doubt things will ever get to that point. As time goes by we'll be able to do more and more in simpler, more convenient ways, which will in turn enable us to do more of the things we love. Already we can bank online while hiking, make a hotel reservation while driving, or even attend a college lecture from the airport.

So if you've ever been worried about turning into a freaky weakling chained to the electronic lifeline in your computer room, don't fret too much...Improved technology paired with our ever-increasing demand for 'connected' living will only give us more flexibility to do the things we love...the real things we love.