Sometimes I Like to Drive

by Jason Acquisto
Director, MZD Interactive

Remember when you first got your driver's license? What was your first car? Mine was a 1983 Toyota Tercel. Yeah baby! I had 6 x 9 speakers mounted in the back seat, a Pioneer cassette deck. Yeah, you could say it was a little awesome. But the greatest part was, I was able to drive myself. No longer did I have to depend on someone else - I was "in control".

Okay, now here's my analogy. We shouldn't let technology drive us. Instead of figuring out how to fit some new gadget into our lives, we should set up our lives and then use technology as it fits. Example? The iPhone. What a gorgeous creation. What an absolutely drool-worthy gadget. But ... for me? I have my smart phone, mobile Internet and messaging device (the vastly underrated Samsung Blackjack) and portable digital music player (the iconic 4th generation iPod Nano) already covered. So I can't really "fit" this uber-cool tool into my repertoire. Do I still want one? Shut up. Of course I do. But not getting one gives me a sense of being "in control".

Is this some kind of personal statement against the Orwellian rise of the machines as foretold in the ancient book of Steve Jobs?
Nah. Bring on the prophecy. Bring on HAL. I can dig it. I can dig it all. In fact, when the time is right, I'll probably own at least one version of the iPhone. But not today.

It's just that sometimes I like to feel the road, just to remind me that you, know - I'm the man. Yup. Sometimes I like to drive.