365 Days of Gratitude: Day 16 - Feeling Google Smart
Are you old enough to remember a time before Google? Were you as stupid as me when it came to "knowing things" without being able to use Google? I was thinking about my first cell phone the other day, remembering how my 'Peanut Phone,' a bulky low-rent Nokia that I had as a sixteen-year-old, was unable to send out text messages or do anything more than make phone calls. That's wild to think about how here, in 2019, I can basically run my life through my iPhone, including the use of Google to figure out anything on earth that I could ever want to know.
Today, I was looking for a customer service contact email for some shoes I wanted to return and, within a few short seconds, I had the answer I was looking for it. Moments later I had filled out the required paperwork, submitted them to the manufacturer as requested, and moved on with my life all in the span of a few minutes. Not that long ago, in a world before Google (or even Ask Jeeves), that simple task would have probably taken me weeks because the steps to accomplish said task would have given a procrastinator like me all kinds of hurdles to clear before getting the job done. Google makes my life work faster.
But I've gotten away from my point, the real reason I love Google is because it makes me feel smarter than I really am. Because of the search engine, I've found articles and videos that have taught me all kinds of shit from hard-boiling eggs to changing the taillights in my vehicle, to teaching my dog (Frank!) how to sit and stay and it allows me to talk about these topics as though I have any practical knowledge at all, which I don't. Basically, it's the best. Having Google is like increasing your IQ by a bunch of points because it allows you to parade around like some kind of human encyclopedia. In two seconds, you've got access to the world's information at your fingertips and after bouncing around for a bit you're basically an expert on your way to being an unlicensed doctor.
Anyway... Thanks, Google!