Technology Road: A Two-Way Street

In class, last week we continued our discussion on consumerism and gradually segwayed into the topic of technology and its flaws. We found that the advancement of technology is not necessarily a good thing. Many times, it is more of a hindrance that a help. We discussed the illustration of a young girl who could get up in the middle of the night to learn about algebra on the internet. We realize, though, that this is a girl who is unlike almost all children. This idea is just not practical.
Promoters of new technology will tell us that it is definitely a good thing and that it is advancing our culture and society to a whole new level. In fact, many of today’s technologies are putting blocks in the road of our cultural advancement. For example, technology has made our society less personal and less personable. Through the internet email and telephone, we no longer have personal face-to-face conversations and relationships. They are more shallow and impersonal. With the introduction of text messaging, we now no longer have to ever talk to anyone. Looking to enter the dating scene? Uncomfortable in social situations? Just go online. Find a date and possibly a spouse on Match.com. Here you don’t even have to make an effort to go out and meet people. You can just browse a network of people and read about them to decide which one you like best. It’s like buying a car. You browse to see which one looks most practical or most fun and research its features. If you don’t have any friends, just log onto myspace. Add people like there’s no tomorrow and chat with them all day long. There becomes no need to go into the real world and experience life, when you could just park in front of the computer for your whole life.
Conversely, sometimes technology needs an advocate. I will be that advocate at this time. Without advancements in technology, we as a civilization would not be well off. Advancements in medical technology have caused life expectancy to skyrocket. Without these, a life of forty-five years would be a long, well-lived one. Safety innovations protect us from everyday life. The inventions of safety glass, seat belts and air-bags keep us safe on the road. Buildings are reinforced and built with steel, enough so that they can withstand earthquakes and hurricanes. This could not have been done hundreds of years ago. Broadcasting has helped us stay connected with the current issues in the world. We can be connected to the news almost anywhere in the world. This is important in keeping our horizons wider than just the goings-on of our own town.
Technology does receive a bad rap sometimes, and many times, this is for good reason. We must remember, though that technology is a two-way street. There are bad aspects, but they come with so many great innovations, that it becomes impossible to discard it.