Are There Any More Luddites?

Long ago, when the Industrial Revolution was taking hold in Britain, a group of individuals rose up in protest against it calling themselves the “Luddites” (named after their fictional leader Ned Ludd). They smashed up machines, arguing that these machines would deprive working people of jobs. Ever since, people who stand in the way of progress or distrust technology are referred to as “Luddites”.

One might expect elderly people to be dyed-in-the-wool Luddites. After all, they grew up in a time when computers were still something that pretty much only NASA had. But more and more older people are getting connected to the Internet and using their computers to keep information stored. You can teach an old dog new tricks.

One might assume, given the reputation of the community, that followers of the Amish lifestyle would be likely to reject the computer’s influence on the world. And while tradition dictates that they will not be on Facebook at 1am if you go to check, the fact is that many Amish families do have computers and are on the Internet.

No matter what social grouping you care to name and think they would be reluctant computer users, there will always be someone who will surprise you. Think of someone who is a real “back to the soil” type, who seeks to embrace nature. The fact is, they will want to get their message out there, and the quickest and best way to do it is through computers. If used carefully, they will not rot your brain.