Southern Indiana Business March-April 2020 | Page 6

TACKLING TECH
By Evan Campbell
Technology’s silver lining
Distance diminished by ‘face to face’ connections
F
ear, frustration and distrust
all are understandable
feelings toward tech in
general these days. Facebook
settled with the FTC for
sharing our privacy info without consent.
Ring has reportedly partnered with police
departments across the country so they
can reach out to users about accessing
front-door camera footage.
Our privacy might not even exist in
the same way over the next few years.
Or maybe it already doesn’t. We’re
bombarded by the ills of social media
and communication apps daily. But this
tech can be a godsend, and I’d like to
focus on that.
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March / April 2020
My mother is currently quarreling
with stage 4 cancer, and her intensive
treatments mean avoiding any possible
interactions with people who are sick.
My 18-month-old daughter goes to
daycare; as you can imagine, she’s
constantly shooting snot out of her nose.
This is where Apple FaceTime enters the
picture.
The video app allows my mom to see
and interact with her granddaughter.
They can play peek-a-boo. They can give
each other kisses over long distance.
They can make each other laugh. And
most importantly, to me at least, it gives
my mom a morale boost during a long
and trying process.
Obviously, FaceTime is beneficial on
my end as well. My mom recently started
receiving treatments in Lexington, so
popping in for a daily
visit isn’t possible.
I can still see her,
though, thanks to
the video app on
our phones. I can
physically notice the
toll chemotherapy
has on her. I can spot
when she’s having
good or bad days.
It’s these small things — that while
ridiculously tough — make me feel
more supportive of her compared to just