Case in point. I’m getting older. In the last couple of years I have had to start wearing glasses when I use my computer and read. Thats a bit of a change for me as I’ve been very lucky to have exceptional eyesight [40/20] my whole life so far. It’s a tool I use everyday to enhance my work; checking artwork, designing, watching cat videos…
Recently, when seeing my optometrist for a new eye test I commented on the fact that I was feeling that it was getting harder to read things close up without my glasses. He said “Yeah, glasses make your eyes “lazier”, so the more you wear them the worse your eyes will get. But, don’t worry, it happens to everyone. It’s just part of getting old”.
It got me thinking. We are offered things everyday, especially apps[like generative AI, social media management tools etc.], that aim to make our life easier. What if they are also making us weaker, less sharp. As we do less with our brains we become able to do less things with our brains. We get out of practice. Now, I’m not talking in a “robots taking over the word” kind of way, more of a “Use it or lose it” way.
I think this applies as equally to our brains as to all the muscles in our bodies. We need to stay fit, ready for action.
People often talk about not needing to know spelling and grammar anymore because the computer will just fix it for you. The thing is spelling and grammar are part of the bigger skill of writing. If we don’t practice it all we just become poorer at it. Sometimes I type a word that is spelt correctly but is the wrong word. I call it typlexia. Every time I go to type “from” I type the word “form”. It’s not that I don’t know the correct words, its just something about the way I taught myself to type. There are a number of regular appearances in my typlexia. There is no app or tool that can correct this for me. It requires me to proof my own work every time I write. It requires me to be “in shape” with my writing tools.
How do we stay mentally match fit if something else is doing all the heavy lifting? It’s not popular but I contend we need to keep doing the hard things. Not all of them. Just the ones that keep us sharp.
