Technology is the way of today’s world. Like everything in life, there are pros and then there are cons, and this goes with technology. Technology is beneficial in many areas such as education, medicine, communication, and just life in general. But, with that in the same areas as it is beneficial, it can also have disadvantages depending on how it is used. Albert Einstein’s quote is a perfect example of this. His quote, “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” I personally think technology is intriguing and beneficial in many aspects but with that it is making us “idiots” so to say in a way. For instance, some people no longer know how to carry a face to face conversation anymore, but they have no problems communication over technology. Communication is a simple task in life, so if one struggles with that, what else are they unable to do without technology?
Technology in education has completely changed the outlook of learning. It has brought so many advantages all around when used properly. Technology allows access to books and learning resources, tutoring anytime and anywhere, learning apps, and so much more. There are so many learning opportunities right there at almost everyone’s fingertips. In the classroom, technology has brought smartboards, Kahoot (one of many educational games), improved engagement, encourages individual learning, encourages collaboration, and so much more. Technology also has disadvantages such as more access to cheating since everything is available on Google and it can lead to distraction. Cell phones are a big distraction in the classroom.
Technology in medicine has led to improving quality of life in my opinion. Technology has made it easier to diagnosis and treat illnesses. With technology, surgeons are now able to perform minimally-invasive surgeries, there are better monitoring systems, and scanning machines such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI’s, ultrasounds, and more. Technology has also brought hearing aids to those who are hard of hearing and it has brought prosthetics to those who have lost a limb. If technology is used right, then it is full of advantages. But there are so many people in the world that abuse the use of technology. One example is, charting is done on computers or tablets now instead of paper so some nurses and doctors focus more on the technology than on the patient and can overlook an issue. Another example is the article about the gene edited baby. I believe technology is being overused in this situation and will lead to more problems in the future than it will lead to good, such as what the article said about it could change the lives of future generations.
Technology in communication is the one area that I personally see more disadvantages to than education and medicine. I say this because I see so many people lost in their phones and missing out on the people around them. The video “Technology hijacked the family dinner time” did an amazing job at showing how technology has destroyed a major key in life, communication. In the video, you could see how lost and angry people get without technology. In a sense, they act like the world is coming to an end when that’s not the case. Some restaurants, like Applebee’s for instance even have tablet devices located on each table that allow people to purchase games to play while waiting for their food. To me there is no reason for that at all. All that is doing is allowing disruption to the table and contributing to destroying communication. But with everything in life, there are advantages to technology in the communicating world. The biggest benefit is technology allows us to communicate with family and friends at any time and all over the world. I have family I don’t get to see very often but with technology we can keep in touch with one another more conveniently than mailing letters back and forth. Technology also gives us as students easier opportunities to communicate with teachers outside of the classroom. The video “Technology hijacked the family dinner table” had a statement in it that I loved. This is, “When families disconnect, they reconnect.” That is very true and well said and really makes one think.
Technology is seriously everywhere around us, so it plays a huge part of just everyday life. The first video we had to watch “One Simple Question”, shows how technology has hurt generations over the years. The video asked these people what they did for fun as a kid and it is amazing how nature gets lost over the years. The first generation answered with responses such as picking blueberries, growing a garden, and fishing. The next generation responded with playing hide and seek outside, building forts, and playing baseball. The last generation all responded with playing video games for hours, being on their phones, and watching videos. The video had a part that said “Nature has always been a part of childhood. Let’s make sure it doesn’t stop with us.” This really is an eye opener. I know myself as a parent with two little ones, I always try to make sure they are limited on their tablets. But I also know my children are the first to want to be outside either helping in our garden, helping at the farm, doing cattle stuff, just playing in the yard, riding bikes, and more. So, I know I am one that doesn’t want to let nature die as part of their childhood.
Technology is a topic that can be talked about for ever and ever, but in my opinion it all boils down to one thing. This being, technology is there for the good in all areas, but it must be used properly and have limitations. Without either of those, technology won’t be for the good, but for the worse.
