For the most part, I have to admit that I think modern inventions are making us lazy. Let me explain.

Since the invention of the automobile some time ago, we have been traveling from one place to another with ease and speed. We can deny the fact that some of us have become lazier. We drive everywhere, to play, to work, to the store that is only fifty meters from the house. A friend of mine who has a big fat belly doesn’t believe in walking anymore. Walking and running does not exist in his life. It’s always the car, even to the aunt’s house which is a stone’s throw away. Sounds familiar?

For many people in this modern age, four wheels have replaced two legs. Outcome? Well, we become obese, lack of exercise and prone to all kinds of diseases. The convenience of vehicles like cars and bicycles have caused laziness which in turn caused the deterioration of our physical health.

In addition to being physically lazy, we also become mentally lazy. This reminds me of something that happened many years ago, a friend of mine, Amy, who works as a clerk in an advertising company. Before the invention of the calculator, she had to do her math using her brain. She could add, subtract, multiply, and divide with a pen and a piece of paper. Then one day her boss gave her a new calculator. Of course, she was surprised that she could perform all the calculations with just a few keystrokes. One does not need to have to think to use the calculator. Therefore, her mental capacity began to decline. She didn’t even realize this until the calculator broke down one day. To her horror, she discovered that she had forgotten how to perform simple mathematical tasks. She was unable to continue her work until the boss got her another calculator. Isn’t this mental laziness? It took us years to learn to count, but only weeks with the calculator to forget everything.

Of course there are other inventions that contribute to our laziness. Fast foods allow us not to bother cooking. Paper plates and canned drinks mean we don’t have to wash up after eating. And we also have washing machines, vacuum cleaners, computers and all kinds of gadgets. It is true that these inventions have made our lives easier, but don’t you think that they also make us more lazy?

There are signs that new inventions and technology will invade our lives in the future and take over most of our daily tasks. There are already robots and machines capable of performing all kinds of tasks. Perhaps the day will come when everything is done for us and we have so much free time left that we can finally do all the things we love to do, if there are still things to do.