The 30-Second Silence
Imagine you meet a new friend. He asks you, "How was your weekend?"
A normal person answers immediately. But you are an "App Addict." You hold up one hand to stop him. You pull out your phone. You unlock it. You open the translation app. You type very fast. You wait for the result. Finally, after 30 seconds of awkward silence, you look up and say: "It was good."
Your friend is confused. He thinks you were writing a novel or checking the weather in Mars. You killed the conversation because you trust a machine more than your own brain. You are not having a conversation; you are doing data entry.
When the App Lies to You
Translation apps are smart, but they do not understand context. They are like a friend who tries to help but makes everything worse.
- You want to tell a girl she looks "cool" (fashionable). The app translates it to "cold" (temperature). Now she thinks you want to put her in the fridge.
- You want to ask for the "check" (bill) at a restaurant. The app asks the waiter to "check" (verify) you. The waiter looks at you strangely.
When you blindly follow the app, you say very funny things with a very serious face.
No Battery, No Voice
The biggest danger is relying on technology for your voice. If you cannot speak without your phone, you are not a speaker. You are a cyborg.
What happens if your battery dies? Suddenly, you lose your ability to speak. You become a statue. You cannot ask for water. You cannot find the bathroom. You are trapped in silence.
Put the phone in your pocket. Use your hands. Draw pictures. Use simple words. It is better to speak broken English from your heart than perfect English from a machine.
