Trust Issues

/ Ann Coleman

Last week I was in the check-out lane at the grocery store, paying for my items in cash. The young man who was the cashier told me I owed $21.78, so I handed him a twenty and a five-dollar bill.  Normally the amount of change I would get back would come up on the computer screen for both of us to see, but he must have entered the wrong amount because according to the screen, I still owed him money.  Quite a lot of money, as a matter of fact.

“No problem.  I’ll figure out your change on this,” he said, whipping out his cell phone and pulling up his calculator app.  He tapped his phone’s screen a few times and then reached into his cash drawer and handed me $4.76.  I’m notoriously bad at math, but even I knew that $25.00 minus $21.78 doesn’t come to $4.76.

“I don’t think that’s right,” I told him.

“Sure it is,” he said.  And held out his phone to me as proof.  “See?”

And sure enough, it did say $4.76 on his screen.  But all that meant was that he had keyed in the wrong amount (again).  I was beginning to think that perhaps being a grocery store cashier was not the ideal job for this particular person.

But the more I thought about it, the more I believed that the real problem wasn’t his habit of hitting the wrong keys when typing in numbers.  The problem was that it never occurred to him to question the accuracy of the information provided by one of his devices. And that got me wondering about how often the rest of us accept whatever facts we get from our devices, instantly and without questions.

Like most people, if I want to find the answer to something quickly and easily, I just “Google it.”  And whatever answer Google comes up with, I believe.  Others, who are more up to date in their devices may also ask “Siri” or “Alexa.”  But honestly, how in the world do we know that Siri and Alexa know what they are talking about?

When home computers first became popular, we were often reminded that they are only as accurate as the information that is programmed into them.  And sometimes technology malfunctions, as anyone who has gotten hopelessly lost following incorrect GPS directions knows all too well.  I admit that I have no idea how Siri or Alexa actually work, or even how Google sifts through thousands of websites to decide which ones show up first on my screen.  But I think it’s a good idea to remember that no technology is infallible, “exhibit A” being Auto-correct and the way it can mangle the simplest of text messages.

Last month I was in Florida with a friend who wanted to hit the beach at low tide because that’s the prime time to find the best shells.  She Googled it, and found that low tide was going to be at 1:30 that afternoon.  At exactly 1:30 we arrived at the beach with our high hopes and empty shelling bags.  And found ourselves staring at a beach that was experiencing what is commonly known as a high tide.  We managed to find some decent shells, but I’m still thinking that someone needs to teach Google a thing or two about the Florida tide cycles.  Or next time, maybe I’ll play it safe and just ask one of the locals.

88 thoughts on “Trust Issues”

  2. I’m one of those people who still stocks the bookshelf with reference books, using Google only to point me in the right direction in terms of resources, but not facts. And anything found on the internet, needs at least two more sources to back it up. I’m a skeptic by nature, which I find useful in these times.

    Liked by 5 people

    • I think that is a very good system. Even reference books can contain faulty information, but the chances of them being correct are so much higher because they have been edited more than once before they were published! There is come credibility there. With sources on the internet, who knows? Nothing wrong with being a skeptic, I think.

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  3. OMG – funny and sad at the same time about the cashier and his clearly wrong calculation….. Did you ever get the correct amount? Inquiring minds (mine) want to know – LOL! Yes – we must certainly consider the source of our information – whether it be on the computer or a person….

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      • Um….. I get terribly confused with numbers… I mean really, really confused. I worked in a pub once where calculations are supposed to be done in your head but the numbers would sneak out…. I probably gave away a lot of free pints.

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        • In those cases, I think it absolutely okay to keep a calculator with you at all times and use that to make change, or figure out what you have to pay. We all have our issues (mine is memory, so I’m the queen of lists). My concern is just those who could easily figure things out for themselves but instead rely on gadgets for everything. Because gadgets can be wrong, and they really are only as good as those who programmed them. Personally, when I add up large columns of numbers, I use a calculator and I do it twice, just to make sure I haven’t entered something incorrectly. Thanks for sharing this point of view…it adds to the conversation for sure!

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    • I agree! We have to do less and less for ourselves every day, which means that we’re going to be capable of doing less and less as time goes by. And I honestly don’t think that is a good thing.

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  8. Well, Ann, the way I see the problem is that there is too much reliance on the digital equipment we have become so accustomed to. This kind of dependence leads to mental laziness, so that the person at the cashier cannot even do the simplest kind of arithmetic he or she has learned in grade school. And Google? Oh my, people have too much trust. When it comes to medical questions, there seem to be more wrong than right answers on the zillions of controversial websites. Enough of ranting and raving. I wish you a very nice and relaxing evening, Ann.

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    • I agree! Our dependence on our digital equipment and technology is disturbing. We should use it, but not at the expense of losing the ability to think, do, and choose for ourselves. And I have learned the hard way not to Google any kind of medical condition. It just scares me, and so much of what I am reading is totally inaccurate.
      And you weren’t ranting, Peter! You were just speaking common sense, and I thank you for that.

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  10. If you can’t find a local, there’s always the tide table in the local newspaper. My husband insists on relying on it on Martha’s Vineyard. But you’re right. No one is fact checking, we’re just accepting things as truth. In the old days, that would never fly.

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  11. Astute observation and conclusion! Too many are too trusting in the information on the internet. I usually have to look at several sources to form an opinion. Unless it is irrefutable I will need a second opinion. (it isn’t just for medical issues anymore)

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    • I agree! I always check sources of anything I see posted on the internet these days, and even then I sometimes look for another source that agrees with it. There is just to much misinformation out there. And the people who are controlling the information have their own agenda!

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  12. Playing safe is highly recommended I guess 😄… but on a serious note it’s really weird that how our lives are rapidly getting hijacked by technology… we are so dependable on gadgets.. it seems like we are nothing without our smartphones, tablets etc.etc. … makes me wonder sometimes did man invent technology or vice-versa… we rely on technology more than humans!
    Very genuine point of yours! 🙂

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  13. You are not the only one that issues with tides in FL recently. One of the kayak bloggers has mentioned several times that there was issues with tide schedules in FL causing access issues into some of the waterways they were paddling. In these cases the mis information can be deadly!

    We use to say garbage in, garbage out! I think we all need to go back to some basic attention to details.

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    • I hadn’t thought about that, but you’re right, sometimes misinformation can have deadly consequences. We do need to pay more attention to where the information we are being given is coming from, and we need to use our own common sense far more than we do. We’ve become far too passive in our thinking, I believe.

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      • It use to be taught to check your sources in at least two places (research), or even three if it looked fishy, to verify the information. Now it seems that with the digital age most have either forgotten that good rule or don’t make time to double check.

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  15. I had a heated debate with a colleague the other week because they refused to believe that there is a post office in the mall across from our office. Why? Because it’s not in Google. No matter how many times I told them it’s there – I walk past it almost every day – they still could not comprehend how this was possible! The world is doomed.

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    • That is so weird that they wouldn’t believe you just because Google didn’t support what you were saying. And I agree, that does not bode well for our future. Blind faith in technology is not a good thing!

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    • I know! I had a friend who had a mini-stroke and she said she coudln’t pass the test to prove there was no permanent damage done to her memory. But she said she couldn’t have passed it before the mini-stroke either!

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    • That’s exactly why I stay away from politics on my blog. The very nanosecond I brought up a point someone might disagree with, they are going to dismiss the whole rest of my post. Sadly, we don’t really know how to politely disagree anymore, or how to listen to an opposing point of view. Good point!

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  23. I think we are safer by in some ways here in the third world. There isn’t much local content on the internet so people still get information on local things offline. Harder but more reliable. But when it comes to global issues, damn. We are just as bad. We’ve forgotten simple techniques of comparing from multiple sites and yet even that is not full proof. Thanks for the reminder.

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  24. … or perhaps it’s the Russians infiltrating all of our mobile devices and syphoning funds to start an insurgent movement for taking over the United States…
    Ignorance, lack of awareness, and the inability to think for ourselves is the beginning of the end. 🙃

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  25. As I key in these words, my eight year old is talking to Siri asking it some questions about his favorite cricket player. Totally irrelevant questions. LOL
    This is a constant dilemma that I face. To google or to ask people. I want to find a good realtor and I really don’t know if the reviews on the internet are genuine ones or fake. I choose to go by reference in this case.
    BUt yes, we cannot discount the so many ways in which the technology has helped us. For a person like me who can remember everything else but the directions, google maps has been a god sent blessing. I can get lost in my on locality without it. So like everything else it is about striking a balance i guess.

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    • I think you are right. Technology is very useful, and I think we would be silly to ignore it and never use it. That being said, we need to hang on to our common sense and not just accept the information we get from our gadgets as the indisputable truth. I use Google maps and Map Quest too, and usually they are right. But sometimes they are completely wrong, which is why I also keep real maps handy and have learned to have a good sense of direction! It is absolutely a balance, and a matter of being willing to check sources, I think. Thanks for the comment!

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  26. My feeling is that “anybody can post anything”. I look at the internet the same way I look at a crowd of people on the street. Some are very knowledgeable, some are misinformed, and some are simply scammers. Even the most trusted sources of information can be misleading. I feel compelled to question everything and make my own evaluations, and I respect skepticism in other people. I think it’s the only responsible way to use the internet.

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    • You’re right, Des. The information is there, and it’s great to have access to it. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t examine the source and look for validation of the information we see. Because you are absolutely right about anyone being able to post anything. And sources can be made up, and sites can be hacked, etc……

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  27. Among all the things I’ve been taught and learned at uni was one the profs never stopped emphasizing: don’t trust what you read unless you could confirm it by several different sources. This includes books as well as social media because not everything published is without fault and there are huge differences between publishers. I thought that was a very good advice and I keep it in mind whenever I do some research.

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  28. It does give one pause when you realize you can get a cashier’s job without being able to figure out basic change in your head.

    Back in my computer days, the acronym was GIGO – Garbage In, Garbage Out. And the reality is, much of what comes in is filtered by the knowledge, ignorance, and/or biases of the person who enters it, and they may be entering garbage even if it’s not intentional. (Alas, for many it is intentional.) So pretty much everything should be taken with a grain of salt, and an awareness of a source’s credibility as well as your own biases in assigning that credibility.

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    • I agree! Even when we are trying to be unbiased and objective, our own biases creep into what we say and write. And that happens with everyone, I think. So I do believe that it is a good thing to take almost everything with a grain of salt, and to take the trouble to verify information before we act on it. Thanks for the comment, Dave!

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  29. Working in a school now, I might timidly say, that the problem in this case may instead be how some schools teach (or don’t teach) math and other subjects. I sit in on classes now and am stuck by how teachers simply get frustrated and throw their hands up and stop doing something. Or how everything is ‘predone’ on sheets and not done the old fashioned way. Some of the techniques certainly are helpful, but for the most part I am really stunned by how little seems to get done. Kids may be just depending on devices and not really LEARNING the basic concepts the way we did, so can’t conceptualize numbers by looking at them, so have no idea if something even looks correct….same with reading. Very sad.

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    • Oh, I agree. I’ve heard that many young people today simply can’t do simple math in their heads, which is why they struggle with people who want to pay in cash. I think eventually no one will be left who can do that, and then we will be at the mercy of our calculators, since we won’t know enough to question them. It’s going to be a different world for sure!

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  31. I think sometimes progress only slows us down. I still keep roadmaps in my car and have been saved by them more times than you’d expect. So much food for thought in your post. I think because I don’t understand how any of it works (pretty much anything after a VhS tape) and attribute it all to ‘magic’, I won’t trust technology and always have a back up (I print out the google maps directions). There’s probably a healthier balance in there somewhere.

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    • I like my maps, too, and will always have them. (Although sometimes even they are wrong or outdated!) But I agree that progress can slow down our human intellect and resourcefulness, and that’s why I think we need to use it but not completely trust it. And the other thing I wonder about those who have an Alexa in their home: how do they know that it is only listening when they ask it a question? It seems to me that if you have one of those in your house, you stand a very good chance of someone eavesdropping on you all the time!

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  34. My husband and I have a running gag about this sort of thing. He always checks the weather on the computer, but he refuses to believe that it might me inaccurate. One conversation in particular sticks in my memory. He’d told me it was going to be clear, and I told him it smelled like it was going to rain. A couple hours later I came in from outside, and he was still at his computer.

    “It’s raining,” I said smugly. Okay, not very much, but still. I wanted him to know of my minor triumph.

    “It can’t be,” he said, still typing.

    I stomped my foot. “Tom,” I yelled, “get up and go outside. The porch is wet, for heaven’s sake.”

    He looked up and grinned. “Can’t be. It’s supposed to be clear today.” And he went back to work.

    I think he might’ve won that round. 🙂

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  35. I’m intimidated by numbers but I can do simple math pretty well. Just don’t ask me to go beyond that..:)
    I think we all have a tendency to accept what we google or ask electronic devices but I sometimes wonder if our willingness to accept freely is sometimes generational. I grew up in the 60’s, a time when everything and everyone was questioned. That mindset never really left means so I take everything with a grain of salt, including GPS systems which I think are one of the greatest technology creations ever😊
    Because sometimes it leads to a road with a wall in front of it.
    Accept willingly, but always with a slight sideways glance😊

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    • It could very well be a generational thing. We did question everything in our youth, and in many cases, young people today also question things. But it does seem to me as if they are not very quick to question anything to do with technology, perhaps because they were raised on it? I love your last line, “accept willingly, but always with a slight sideways glance!” That glance can save us from a lot of trouble, I think. Thanks, George!

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  36. Yep, I think that asking the locals is always a good idea. Maybe it was a different Florida in another state or country lol 🙂 Seriously though, I think we’re all a bit guilty of entrusting our devices a bit too much, though I think common sense needs to come into the equation too. These days I often question my trusted GPS and, when it comes to simple maths I have to admit that I also tend to do that at the check out as well. 🙂

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    • Yes, it did seem odd that the the times for low tide could be so very wrong, didn’t it? I’m wondering if it had the wrong date… I think maybe the trick is for us to remember that old saying about a computer only being as good as the information programmed into it. I make use of my calculator a lot too (especially when I’m paying bills), but I always double check. If I can’t do it in my head, then I run the column twice just to make sure I didn’t key in the wrong number. Good to hear from you Miriam!

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  37. Ann, this really resonates with me. Regardless of the technology available we still need to remember how to think for ourselves and how to question where our information comes from. This needs to be embedded in our education system. We need to reflect on how technology is moving us forward.

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    • I completely agree! Technology is great as long as we understand its limitations and don’t rely on it to do our thinking for us. It’s a tool, not something to be believed in without question, I think. Thanks for your comments, Ali!

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