The growth of Technology has been an integral part of human life over the years. Presently, we basically live in a digital era studded by massive technological innovations ranging from high-tech cars, digital applications, smartphones, wireless internet, and outer space crafts amongst others. These insurmountable innovations have entrenched themselves in the lives of today’s humanity that we can hardly function without them. The phrase “we did not have these gadgets back in the day” has become a common platitude from the elders constantly cautioning the young generation because of their reliance. In reality, the present generation has overly become reliant on the technology that everything they work on has to be done or facilitated by technology.
First, it is clear that technology has become the master of humanity while turning humankind into a slave. It is common to see people seated all day juggling between playing video games, watching TV, streaming movies on YouTube, posting pictures on Instagram, and chatting the day away with friends on Facebook and Twitter using their smartphones. They do not take healthy walks to the parks anymore, meet friends for coffee and chit-chats, nor do they go to the library to read books. Life is now lived just by a click. This click can order you food, a click that can buy you clothes, and a click that can get you virtual friends from around the globe. Without technology, most humans feel naked, stripped, and lonely because of the close attachment to their gadgets that they have developed over the years. Today, a vacation is not complete without a laptop, tablet, or smartphone to record the scenic views and the juicy moments to be uploaded in real-time on social media for the world to see.
Technology has also exerted unnecessary pressure on humanity robbing him of his/her autonomy to make decisions. Social media, for instance, has initiated unnecessary pressure of trying to keep up with the rich, image-conscious few in the society thus plunging thousands into unnecessary anxiety, debt, and even depression. Besides, getting to own some of these technological gadgets can cost an arm and a leg, while maintaining them exerts significant toll financial impacts on the finances of people.
Besides, technology has limited the thinking of humanity. As more and advanced technology keeps rolling out each day from the elderly, the young are getting addicted and sitting on the laurels in comfort. The advent of search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and Wikipedia has slowed down the activity of the human brain. The availability of well-researched answers online has barred the power of a creative mind and innovation. Cases of rampant plagiarism and mediocre researches from students when barred from using online answers have compromised the education system in most countries. Technology has basically compelled the young generations’ minds into a non-thinking mood. In technologically advanced countries like Japan, South Korea, and the USA, the innovation of sophisticated machines like the robot who can literally perform most human actions has rendered humanity useless in some sectors. Today, robots are used in Japanese hospitals, robots are used in exploration activities into the airspace, and robots are used in many artificial and military intelligence systems as spies. These particular innovations have not only displaced humanity from their jobs but limited the thinking of many as the machine is left to work and all a human does is to control the movement of the machine when necessary.
Moreover, technology has gradually become an inseparable part of our lives, and this is illustrated by the non-discriminate users of technology. The users of technology cut across every form of discrimination and distinctive features; It is actually, the one thing that still unites humans under the umbrella of humanity regardless of race, religion, gender, nationality, and other unique identity features. The most hated criminals in the world including terrorists and pedophiles have banked on technology such as social media to advance their interests. Most corporate organizations from gigantic companies commanding huge resources across the globe like Coca Cola have not been left behind either, innovation is part and parcel of their daily operations. Celebrities with a massive following on social media like Kim Kardashian and renowned actresses and singers have also capitalized on technology to advance their careers. States are also constantly at gridlocks with each other over technological innovation, some like nuclear power that has compelled nations into diplomatic deliberations over necessary capping on certain technological innovations. The wide use of technology overtly illustrates the high dependence on it to facilitate human activities and interactions, whether bad or good.
In a nutshell, technology is not a curse, in fact, it is the greatest thing that has ever happened and will continue happening to humanity. Technology is facilitating and complementing the activities of humans and generally making life interesting and worth living. Technology is taking away the heavy burden laid on the humanity of toiling and working tirelessly to make ends meet. It lends a helping hand and becomes a rescuer to humanity when the body system tires from heavy duties. All that needs to be done is drawing a line between the master and the slave, and maintaining high discipline when using machines. At the end of the day, humans need each other more than they need the machines.