We take technological progress for granted these days.
It isn’t that surprising to hear about a smaller, faster and more powerful computer, nor is it really surprising when all a person needs to do to pay for something, is to hold their phone up to a scanner. Despite that, occasionally a bit of technological improvement can take us by surprise, which happened to me during a recent visit to McDonald’s.
In Green River, as well as much of Wyoming, residents are accustomed to being somewhat behind in the technology game. Typically speaking, there isn’t a lot of need to sit on the bleeding edge of technological innovation. It’s one of the reasons why some people enjoy living here. In fact, people talk about the fact that there are still places in Wyoming where cellular reception is about the same as it was 100 years ago and are proud of it.
That’s why it seemed so surprising to see those kiosks in the restaurant. They’re more frequently seen in the “big city,” not in Wyoming. But, technology progresses, even in Wyoming, so I suppose I shouldn’t have been all that shocked to see them. My first job was at Blockbuster Video in Rock Springs, but there’s a generation of people now who haven’t lived long enough to know about renting movies from a store, as opposed to a vending machine or stream them from the Internet. My first job, which I thought was pretty cool truth be told, will eventually be looked upon like the soda jerks from the 1940s and 1950s in absolute obsolescence.
The screens at the restaurant are bright, colorful and fairly easy to operate. It allows for more accurate ordering of course, but it also cuts out the need for someone to take an order and communicate it with the cooks.
Once other restaurants follow suit, it’ll be safe to say that a few jobs will be lost in the fast-food industry. It won’t be like the ending of an industry, such as what happened with video rental stores, but technology has a way of allowing for lower headcount while maintaining quality. It’s just the way it is. Ask someone who worked on an automotive assembly line about their experience, if you don’t believe me.
A hundred years ago, this article would have had a headline like “progress comes to Green River” and would go on about the amazing world we’re living in where advances continue to amaze. Our cell phones have more computing power than was available in the space shuttles. We’re essentially walking around with devices capable of accessing almost anything we want, whenever we want it. Progress, when seen from that lens, isn’t surprising because we’ve gotten used to it.
In the case of McDonald’s and the other restaurants that will inevitably follow suit with technological improvements, it can still be a little jarring as they represent changes to the status quo, instead of the passive advancements boasted about in advertisements.
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