Alexa: Teach Me Survival

I think I just got schooled by South Park, of all things. I know it’s ironic and
inappropriate, but hear me out. I promise there’s a valuable lesson to be learned.
I had finished my work for the day and decided to turn on Amazon Prime. I never lived
“back in the day” where I had to physically walk to turn on the television or strut across shag
carpet to change the channel. Instead, I have thousands of movies, shows, and documentaries at
my fingertips.
There is a new episode called “South Park: Joining the Panderverse”, and I thought I’d
check it out. I won’t be going into specifics of the entire show, but there was one aspect that
really made me stop and think. Stan’s dad, Randy, had to fix an oven door hinge. He called his
children into the kitchen to show them how to replace the hinge and get the oven in working
order.
This grand gesture involved getting in touch with an AI system, who then called up the
local handyman. Here’s the catch: the local handyman was in huge demand. AI was replacing all
the college-educated people, and as a result, no one, and I mean no one, knew how to do basic
things anymore.
No one could change out bathroom tile, fix door hinges, or do any type of simple home
repair. Instead, handymen were called left and right, doing jobs for the highest bidder. These
individuals became the new elite of society, while the educated fell to the wayside.
It’s an interesting concept, actually. Here we are in an age where AI and computers make
life so easy, it’s scary. Do you feel a sniffle coming on? Log onto Web MD and see how you
might be suffering from a cold (or some other exotic illness if you really read into the site). Do
you feel like learning about the history of your favorite horror movie franchise? Ask Alexa.
She’s got all the answers. Do you have a hankering for Red Robin, but don’t feel like driving?
Uber Eats will take care of that.
Do you have to change your flat tire that just blew out on the freeway?
Wellll….. You’re on your own!
I’m going to be honest. If I was to step foot out into the “big grown up world” right now,
I’d probably be calling my parents every few minutes to come and rescue me. I can grocery
shop and take care of certain chores and tasks, but home repairs are far beyond my skill set.
It’s not for a lack of trying. My mother and I spent several hot afternoons last summer
breaking drill bits as we installed locks on all the doors of the house. It wasn’t until after we
were done that I learned drill bits were not supposed to break. However, my mother doesn’t shy