United Kingdom: Where does the principle of social responsibility stand? Robots are killing jobs and increasing anti-social trends

We talk about technology and about how beautiful technology is. Some bits of technology are obviously very attractive and rewarding for many, but other bits of technology can create social mayhem. Every year, policians of all political colours talk about rates of unemployment, but when it comes to unemployment rates, a single piece of equipment has created a lot of unemployment and especially amongst those more vulnerable in society.

I went to my local supermarket. It was a beehive of activity and the shopping experience was very much a social experience. I knew the attendants and the attendants knew me since I had been going to the same shop day in and day out for several years.

Yesterday, I went to the same local supermarket and it was as quiet as a funeral parlour. All I could see was a queue of puzzled customers and a security guard that had to get out of his way every three minutes to help customers that were struggling to use the self-check out machines that often get stuck while you are registering your shopping.

When shops or banks are not closed down straight away, they usually incorporate self-checkout machines and other automatic equipment. The more automatic equipment is introduced the less of a reason to return as a customer. I value people and I value the social experience. Shopping is not just about putting things into a basket and registering the goods on a robotic machine.

Politicians talk a lot about the importance of building up communities. They are not going to build up communities with robotic machines that are destroying jobs and ruining social experiences. 

Something similar was proposed when the closure of ticket offices in railway stations was mentioned. Should you have a heart attack, should you need any especific information, should you be attacked at the station, you can ask the electronic machine on the wall to help you. This kind of technology is dehumanising and anti-social. It is destroying the very same things that we say that we want in society.

Looting and shoplifting are on the way up. I am sure that looters and shoplifters will care very little about a solitary security guard that would not want to put his or her life in danger by trying to prevent robberies. If you were alone inside a shop and a crowd of undesirables entered the shop to take everything they want or can get from inside the shop, would you stand on their way? A local shop was targetted so many times in a single month that the shop was closed down for good and all this happens because of misuse of technology. Society is about people. Society is not about robotic machines that replaced people.