I just got a text message reminding me of my dentist appointment tomorrow. I’ll get another one an hour before the appointment.
You probably do also — from your dentist, doctor, hair salon, and any place that requires you to make an appointment. It’s one of the great features of modern technology.
But it’s also subtly shifted responsibility.
When I was a kid, my mom took her calendar book every time we went to the doctor or dentist. At the end, she’d make an appointment for six months or even a year from then and write it down in that book. Each week, she’d look at the calendar and plan our week around who had to be where.
“On Thursday you’re going to the dentist. I’ll get the note ready.”
No electronic notifications. No text messages. No automated phone calls. No confirmations. She made the appointment — no, a contract — six months ago, and we’re going to show up right on time.
What happens when you miss an appointment? Who’s responsible?
The answer to that is generational. Technology has shifted it. My parents wouldn’t dream of thinking it’s the dentist’s responsibility. My kids wouldn’t dream of thinking it’s their own responsibility.
Me? I’m caught in between. My generation bridges the gap between personal responsibility and systemic responsibility.
Where else has technology shifted responsibility from the person to the system?
