Tag: technology
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Fixing the Technological Fix
Perhaps like many of my age, I am not captivated by a number of much-touted technological innovations, increasing choices I don’t desire, and fulfilling needs I didn’t realize I had. I am not sure that having a cell phone at the ready every minute of the day and night to bring messages, pictures, and apps…
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Grandma and Her Robot
As early as 1985, in A Robot in Every Home, futurist Mike Higgins predicted that “pet robots” would ultimately provide companionship for the elderly. He was right. “Service robots,” like the vacuum cleaner Roomba (on sale at Costco for $299), perform instrumental tasks. By contrast, “social/emotional robots” target the experiential aspects of our lives. Earlier…
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Do We Need Less Technology, or More?
As a practicing outpatient geriatrician, I generally embrace the principle that less is often more. But is this the approach we should take towards technology and the health care of older adults?