How does the Amish community get along with modern technology?

Фото: Depositphotos

The Amish community has lived a traditional life for many years, since the local people did not have access to many of the benefits of civilization that have become customary throughout most of the planet.

But now technologies are gradually penetrating their lives. About how they get along, told the publication The New York Times.

Amish still have not abandoned horse carts. Their strict abstinence from many types of technology has led to the fact that their lifestyle resembles the lives of people of the XIX century: for example, they do not have cars, televisions and connections to electrical networks.

Nevertheless, computers and mobile phones are gradually penetrating some Amish communities, pushing them into the 21st century, sometimes at their will, and often against their will.

New technologies have created new opportunities for development among the Amish. The contractor can call the client from the place of work. The store owner’s software can quickly complete payroll and inventory tasks. The bakery can accept credit cards for the calculation.

But at the same time, new technical capabilities raise concerns about the consequences of access to the Internet. They are worried about pornography and that their sons and daughters will have friends in social networks outside the community who influence them.

“Amish life is about recognizing the value of agreed upon limits, and the spirit of the internet is reducing the idea of ​​limits,” explained Eric Wesner, author of the blog. Amish America.

The Amish traditions are aimed at keeping people together, their communication and mutual assistance, but electronic saws, cars, and other modern devices keep people away from each other.

The Internet also threatens another pillar of Amish society—the idea of ​​community, in which formal education ends after eighth grade and young people learn a trade or trade by working with a relative or other community member.

“If you can just look up the answer on the Internet, you don't think. The more people rely on technology, the more they want to work from just sitting at a desk. But you can’t build a house sitting at a desk,” said woodworking expert Levy.

“I care about our future and our children's future, the problem is they are losing their work ethic,” Levy said.

Screenshot from The New York Times

But some young people do not agree with this point of view.

Marilyn, 18 years, said that when she and her friends come to church events, "our youth leaders ask us to respect what we have together and not use the phones, so we only check our messages and time."

The girl insists on the need to soften the rules.

“We cannot live as we did 50 years ago, because a lot has changed. You can't expect us to stay the same as we were before. We love our lifestyle, but some changes would be nice,” she says.

The Amish community is growing faster than expected, and this growth accelerates the adoption of technology by this community.

According to estimates by researchers from Elizabethtown College, the number of Amish in the US is 313 thousand people, which is almost 150% more than 25 years ago. The main reasons for the growth are family families: married women have an average of seven children, and the Amish marry earlier than average Americans.

The rapid population growth prompted the Amish to move to other villages, as well as to engage in business in urban markets, which brings them closer to modern technology.

For example, Moses Smiker opened a food and sandwich shop in a popular market in Philadelphia. He spends six days a week in Philadelphia outside the borders of the Amish community.

“Philadelphia is growing very quickly. And after that I go home and ride my horse. I like horses. Riding on them slows down your life,” the man said.

To grow his business, he had to open a credit card and register his institution. Smucker's Quality Meats and Grill on yelp.

Speaking of technology, Smiker said: “You have to do everything that is necessary in order to stay in business. People begin to understand this. ”

In the area of ​​Lancaster, where the Amish community is located, 2000 successful Amish businesses operate, many of which have a multi-million dollar turnover.

Many Amish draw a clear line between what is allowed at work—smartphones, Internet access, and so on—and what is allowed at home, where much of this technology remains prohibited.

However, the edges can gradually fade. Connecting a house to a communal electricity supply is unthinkable for this community, but many residents use electric generators and solar panels. Many kitchens have refrigerators with propane power. And Amish Taxi services, which are operated by people who do not belong to the Amish community, provide a way to move around the city without violating the prohibition on car ownership.

One of the Amish, John, uses a computer-controlled saw to work, which sometimes becomes the cause of ridicule from local residents.

Despite the use of technology at work, the Amish have a strict ban on their use at home, so during family conversations and feasts they are not distracted by computers and telephones. Although many have installed phones and computers for work at home, they try not to use them without need.

One of the community residents, Lizzie, said she was very upset by how attached people were to their phones.

“People treat phones like gods. They address them at the table, address them when they go somewhere. We don't worship idols here, but I think they're getting dangerously close," Lizzie said.

According to scientists, the Amish understand more about the impact of technology on a person than most modern people.

The speed and availability of online communication can cause people to be impatient and dissatisfied with a slower real life. Regular use of cell phones can lead to excessive reliance on machines and technologies to solve problems. Also, the phone can repel people from other people and from real communication in groups, which leads to the closure of them in their own world.

At the moment, some people in the Amish community seem to be able to support modern technology at arm's length, using them exclusively for work so that they do not interfere with the daily life of the community and family communication.

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