In this blog, I have noticed an overwhelming amount of negative views toward the internet, computers, smartphones, etc. Maybe these negative opinions are making us feel and look smarter so there are so many more pessimistic views than optimistic views.
This doesn't mean that your concerns about technology are not valid, I am simply pointing out a reason why there may be many more negative post and comments than positive ones.
After I post this I am hoping to see more optimistic posts about technology.
-David Yoder :)
I agree with this post. Many people look down on technology and how it is hindering our abilities and thoughts, but I have never thought of it as an obstacle. I always thought technology was a helping hand in many aspects such as quick info, entertainment, and certain occupations revolve around technology.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very interesting fact, and I can easily see that being true. Although I do believe that technology can be good, would you mind sharing any positives views that you see about technology?
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, the internet it great for fast communication and it brings people together who never would have met. The internet can connect people with similar interests with people just like them.
ReplyDeleteThere are more but these are just a few.
Second, computers are better at calculating and searching than we are. For example, Google searches so many websites in so little time to help you find what you are looking for.
Third, it allows not only for reading and writing, it allows us to become literate in analyzing pictures, videos, graphs, and other data sets that would not be available if not for growing technology.
Fourth, it is convenient. Instead of having to physically travel somewhere for a book or even for work, it can be done on the internet.
Also, some of the negative effects people mention have to do with memory or focus and those thing have to do with the brain and the brain is a tricky machine that I don't think we can fully comprehend. So, saying it reduces our focus or memory is iffy because it is a hard subject to test.
Oops, I meant to put, "There are more but these are just a few" after fourth.
DeleteI agree that technology is beneficial to us but it does have some negative aspects to it.
DeleteFirst we rely too much on it. What happens when it all disappears? We may suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Nothing last forever. Who knows what will happen in the future. We need to learn not to be too dependent on it. It will take a lot of time to readjust to a simple way of living. It promotes overindulgence and has taken over our lives.
Second, technology gives you a lot of power. The world is cruel and corrupt. People will seek to harm and destroy. There are those few who would do the opposite. But it won't matter when most of the leaders of our nations are corrupt. With all this power, people will just seek more. Nation will rise against nation and try to take control. It has to be used responsibly. We have the potential to cause destruction on our planet.
Third, the media has changed the way we are. Technology has changed the way we perceive and view things. Camille brought up in an earlier post about High School Musical and I agree with her that television has changed the way we look at the world. We are fed lies and false images.
Fourth, our social skills decrease. When it comes to in life interactions, people forget proper etiquette. I can practically picture someone saying "lol ttyl ty" out loud during a job interview. I have encountered so many people who use text speak in real life.
Fifth, this is more personal but I prefer talking to a person face to face and looking them in the eye then hiding behind a screen. People tend to use technology a lot to communicate instead of talking to someone in real life.
These are just some points but overall I believe technology isn't good or bad, it's just how it's used that determines it. Technology is all about potential.
Although we rely on technology, we're not in a position as bad as you perceive it as. We use it because it does help make things easier and casual, but "taking over our lives" is far-fetched. My dad is terrible with technology, but when he actually does use it, he uses it to save time such as paying the bills online. I don't think that technology is taking over us, we just make irrational decisions because it is making things simpler.
DeleteTechnology definitely gives a vast amount of power, but that's why we have the law. Even before technology advanced so much, there were still corrupt people. At the moment nations have all settled and if we can keep the world as peaceful as possible we can benefit more than we lose in the world.
Third, the media has changed who we are, but it has also helped us find things we enjoy. We can use the media to find interests and information on pretty much about anything. Television shows are used to move emotions and try to draw in the viewers' attention. We have a brain to know what is to be expected and what is reality.
And I completely disagree with your fourth argument. The only time text speak comes out is when people are around their friends, I have never heard someone talk like that when the situation actually matters.
Lastly, since it is an opinion too, the only reason that people use technology is because it is easily accessible. The cost of transportation is getting more expensive (gas), and it takes slower to get there then just sending a message through the internet. Although I agree that face to face conversations has a lot more meaning, there are certain situations where it is very difficult to talk in face. For example if you move away from your parents for college, military, or vacation, it is best to use technology to access your family.
Personally technology has more pros than cons in my opinion. I truly believe that if you can receive more than you lose with technology, we should continue to use it in our advantage.
I still believe that it has too an extent taken over our lives. Most kids are always on the internet. My four year old brother's schedule is pretty much eating, sleeping, school, and using the internet. Nothing else. He's on the internet more than 6 hours a day. People like your father who were around back when technology wasn't that popular, can't adjust to the norm of things. However, people our age and younger are practically using technology most of our time. And in the future I know kids will be using them at even an earlier age. You see little kids running around with Ipods and Iphones in their hands. I doubt many of us could go on without many of the technological innovations we have made. We all want a happy and easy life. With kids becoming lazier and lazier and the introduction of new things, technology is taking over and surpassing humanity.
Delete"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity." -Albert Einstein
We may have the law but what about the people who simply break it? And what about people who are corrupt that are in charge? Over a hundred years ago the World War 1 broke out and many lives were lost. Due to our advanced weaponry, many cities and towns were destroyed. A little later World War 2 started. The Jews were almost eradicated. More than half of them were killed with 2/3 of them being in Europe. The German's infamous torture devices such as the gas chamber caused the death of many Jews in an efficient and timely matter. The bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima dealt a huge blow to Japan. The atomic bombs used destroyed the city left a scar, and all the people who didn't die from the blast, died from the radiation poisoning. Japan even surrendered because of the multiple bombings that occurred. Africa has been corrupt for a very long time. The people in charge don't even care about their own people. They are selfish and just care about their own personal gain. The black market sells many weapons to people in Africa. Russia has stepped into the Ukraine and the US may have to jump in to avoid an international affair. North Korea has been acting very aggressive towards other countries and an all out nuclear war seems plausible. In the middle east suicide bombings are fairly common. Accidents are bound to happen as well, such as the infamous Chernobyl disaster. A lot of radioactive particles were released into the air and covered most of Europe. To this day Chernobyl is still uninhabitable by people due to the remaining radiation that lies in the city. The third world war can start at a moment's notice. Nuclear weapons will be used and we will end up destroying our planet. At the start we may not use nuclear weapons but as it prolongs and people become scared,desperate, and out of options, that's when they start to do unthinkable things and decide to risk it all.
We may have a brain but our brains don't even fully develop till the end of our teen years. With all the hormones rushing through our body and our bodies changing, it's difficult for kids to grasp what middle/high school is really like. People go into middle school and high school thinking that all the people who play sports or are cheerleaders are popular and all the people who are smart get bullied. The media has changed in the sense where people mostly care about their looks. Society holds beauty to a really high standard. If they put someone who wasn't attractive in a Victoria's Secret commercial I doubt people would still be inclined to buy their merchandise. The world has become shallow and too many people rely on looks alone. People would not buy the shampoo if the lady in the commercial had disgusting hair. Even though not many may read newspapers anymore but they completely bash on one politician but act in favor of another. In music videos many things are over sexualized and they encourage kids to do many bad things. One of the worse things is cyber bullying. You may just be able to ignore it but some people get really affected by it. Words are still hurtful. There have been cases where kids have committed suicide cause of cyber bullying. People look down upon our generation because of the way we act. The media manipulates people by using lies and false images.
DeleteI was exaggerating the text speak part but around parts of where we live you can hear people using text speak in real life such as in restaurants, on the streets, and in school. Most of the time it's on accident. People feel more comfortable. When it comes to public speaking or meeting someone in real life for the first time A LOT of people tend to shy away. The pressure is to great on them and they become scared. They start to forget what to say, stutter, or go too quickly. I've noticed that people when they present tend to have a hard time speaking and are clueless as to what to do yet when they are using a device they are calm and collected. They've grown more accustomed to using technology to speak. They find it more reassuring and easier to talk behind a screen than in person. They lack social skills.
That isn't the only reason people use technology to talk. People are scared of rejection and putting themselves out there. Having to talk to someone in real life can put a lot of pressure on you. Someone could be amazing on the internet and have a really boring personality in real life. Back then letter writing was actually considered an art. People would actually take the time to write something meaningful. Before social media people actually use to have real and meaningful conversations that had depth to them. There is still some today but not as much. People prefer to hide behind a screen. I wouldn't be surprised if many years from now, writing stopped existing and we relied only on a keypad.
Technology has a lot of negatives and positives. However it's neither bad nor good. It all depends on who has it and what they are using it for. It has the potential to create or destroy.
I just wanted to point out that when someone in charge is corrupt, we voted them into that office.
ReplyDeleteI'm also pretty sure that people are trying to fight corruption in other countries around the world too.
DeleteThis conversation is pretty awesome. This is exactly the kind of exchange of ideas that I hope for. :) Thank you all for making my dreams come true.
ReplyDelete