The Sanitised Box Theory

If you had ever lived with my dad, you would discover (don't worry, I have done this part for you, and I'll relay it to, you, no actual discovery is required on your part) that he has deveoped a catchphrase over the past few years.

"You are all getting closer and closer to your wee sanitised boxes..."

Yup, he says it on average around 14 times a week (**Disclaimer - actual number of times per week may be different**). So what does it mean?? Well, my dad you see, is a technophobe!! For a guy like me, who is a self confessed geek, with a love for all things with a plug and a screen (apart from the Wii...but we'll reserve that one for another day), this is horrifying. Well...it was horrifying, for a while. Now I'm used to it, and to be honest I just do stuff to wind him up.

The sanitised box theory, it seems, is actually rather simple. It is my dad's genuine belief (and I believe he does genuinely think this will happen some day), that we will all eventually live in a little "pod" of sorts, where all of our food will be delievered (by robot I suppose?? I mean his theory isn't water tight), and where will have constant internet access, and will be able to do our shopping, banking, working, everything. And the key element of it...



We won't ever have to talk to anyone!

My dad seems to be grasping onto the last shreds of the past you see. You and I might, for example, go to the supermarket and use the self service tills. We do this because it's faster, easier, and we can serve ourselves (perhaps there's a sense of achievement, maybe we are all antisocial...who knows?). My dad won't though. He will even wait in a queue to not be served "by some bloody machine". Apparently, the art of conversation is dying, and by using the machine, we are eventually depriving someone of a job. For the same reason, he won't use an ATM for his cash, or pay for his petrol @the pump.

I, on the other hand, am delighted that I am spared the boring every day banter of someone who neither cares what they ask you, nor what the answer is. I'm in the supermarket - "is it raining outside?" I immediately think, "why?? do I look wet?" Of course I don't, it's just what they are told to do. Be nice to the customer. I can't be the minority though...surely there are more than me who would gladly put their shopping through a checkout in the awkward silence of service?? It's the same everywhere - in the barbers - "is it your day off today?" "No, I just walked out of work to address the life or death matter of having my fringe trimmed..." - at the canteen at work - "Are you hungry today?" "WTF??". You must be catching on by now.

However, his favourite time to have a dig at modern society is when I have my phone out. I am an avid iPhone 4 fan, I never go for longer than a few minutes without using my phone for something or other. My dad finds this horrific. Say I see an advert for a film I like - Amazon app >>> search film >>> one click buy. My dad - "can you not just go to a shop and buy it??" me - "no, its cheaper online anyway!" my dad - "muttering something about a sanitized box..." he really hates it.


The long and the short of it is this. I wouldn't mind a "sanitised box", so long as the robot delivering didn't speak the most mundane garbage whilst it was doing so.

Nah, in reality, we need to talk to people (obviously), but is my dad (whilst obviously having a satirical dig at the modern generation) really predicting what might just happen years from now? Who knows, but would you like to live all alone, with only the walls of your pod and a constant live net feed to keep you company?

tomorrow's blog . . . what angered me about "the best console on the market"?