Technology: Helpful or Harmful? (Final Post Spring)

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There is an ongoing debate revolving around the question: Is modern technology helping us or hurting us as a society, and as a planet? This question has been pondered countless times by people all over the world and I believe this question will be present in our minds for as long as technology exist. Certainly, we do not yet know enough about technology or its future potential to answer this question definitively. Anyone who claims they do is sadly mistaken, as technology has continued to prove even the brightest of intellectuals wrong with the passing of each generation. Even the brilliant Thomas Edison once said that "Fooling around with alternating current (AC) is just a waste of time.  Nobody will use it, ever." We can only make educated guesses when discussing technology's true impact and its future implications. It has a tendency to be unpredictable, and its effects, difficult to put in words.

There are many variables and uncertainties involved in trying to answer this question. There are so many pros and cons which technology presents, and in my opinion they would all need to be factored in for an answer to this question to be considered legitimate and well thought out. Humbly I will admit that I do not possess the expertise or knowledge in the field of technology that would be necessary for this task. For that reason, I would much rather depend on some universal truths which have withstood the test of time to guide me in my thoughts on this issue.

If we viewed mankind's existence on a 24 hour clock, the existence of modern technology would only account for a few milliseconds.  Using that prospective, we have not had much time to examine or study modern technology. On the other hand, we have had plenty of time to study man (mankind) and his habits and tendencies. Therefore, I believe that one of the best possible ways to view whether or not technology is a "good" thing for us all, is to examine how humans react when given tools of power, resource, and influence. When we take this approach we find that all technologies, those as old as old as the stone tools created by our ancestors and those as modern as the Internet, have all been utilized in accordance with the intent of the person in possession of the technology. Starting a fire; one of the earliest innovations discovered by mankind, can be used to mold tools, warm a family during a cold winter, or cook a meal. That same fire can also be used as a tool of mass destruction. It all depends on the intent of the user, and his/her competence or morality.

If these facts are true about even the simplest of technologies, why do we access modern technology so differently? It is easy to get wrapped up in the complexities of modern technology and forget that it is still an invention used to further the interests or intent of people. Therefore, I believe that when accessing technology's flaws we should consider that most of the problems are brought on by our flaws, not flaws in technology itself. If you are a bully in the school yard, you will also be a bully on the internet. If you are easily influenced by your surroundings and peers, you will be easily influenced by the content and people you interact with online. If you are a kind, generous, and charitable person you will be more likely to use the internet as a way to spread joy or help others. Simply, I believe that modern technology shines a light on who we really are as people and serves as an extension of us. With that being said, the only way to ensure that technology will do more "good" than harm in the future is to make sure that those in control of the technology have the proper intent: To use the technology to make the world a better place. Unfortunately, this cannot be guaranteed. Only time will reveal how we have decided to use technology. I believe that technology has the power to lead us to a promising future of experiences that we have never dreamed of, but I also believe that it could be the means to our destruction. It is all up to us.

Source links: https://www.britannica.com/story/history-of-technology-timeline
https://www.forbes.com/sites/robertszczerba/2015/01/05/15-worst-tech-predictions-of-all-time/#404534c71299

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