Final Post - Relationships with Technology

Technology: Good or Bad?

Self-Driving Tesla

The question on wether technology is good or bad has been a long argued debate. However, it is hard to dispute the effect technology has on completely transforming our world. Inventions such as computers, cell phones, and now AI technology, have provided us with all new connections and ways to communicate. Computers and cell phones are able to provide you with a network of information with just a touch of a button, this information also can be received within a few milliseconds- which is way faster than having to go to the library and looking through books until you found what you needed. AI technology has also widely changed our productivity by either solving complex equations in seconds, using previous data to develop medical cures, and even perform tasks that require precision and care. Self-driving cars are also now possible thanks to the evolution of technology; the hundreds of sensors and cameras within the car system also provides an extra layer of safety we didn't have before.  

However, these technological benefits have also come with some not so good aspects. For example, after cell phones were created, social media apps grew in popularity and terms such as "cyber bullying" came into existence. Many adults and teenagers were not educated on the dangers of apps like Facebook and Twitter, as many did not know there were any dangers at the time. The delete button made it seem like you could post whatever and if you wanted it gone you could just erase it and it would be gone forever. Unfortunately, as we know now, that just isn't the case. Whatever you post is permanent (whether you hit delete or not) and can always be retrieved from servers. Over the past decade we have seen a handful of teenagers that were rejected from college due to old posts that were either recovered or the teenager hadn't thought twice about posting. I have also personally seen an increase of people my age or younger who are choosing to not go on social media. Some of my friends are even limiting their own screen time. An article about a 14 year old girl who decided to not go on social media is an example of how more and more teenagers are starting to realize the downsides of social media.

I think I have a healthier relationship with technology than I used to in middle school. Being away at college and having the ability to send my mom a quick text or even video call her is such a helpful tool. I've been getting better at my relationship with social media by realizing when I may need to take a break from it. I do my best to think about what I am putting out on the internet and minimizing my digital footprint. As of recent, I have also been more cautious of the websites I give my email to and making sure the site is trustworthy. 

As a child of two parents in the Navy, I think they were more concerned and alert to the dangers of the internet and in turn, warned me early on so I would have the chance to make more educated decisions. I do think my parents have healthy relationships with technology. For example, they both recognize the benefits of technology as they work in the government and they are able to see exactly how these technologies have improved our military capabilities. My dad doesn't really use social media very often and when my brother and I were younger, he was always encouraging us to stay off screens as much as possible. I really value his advice now (as I didn't at the time) and find it very helpful as it taught us there were other things to if we are bored, instead of going straight on  our phones.

So, is technology good or bad? In truth, I think it is both. There are so many different aspects and types of technologies that it becomes hard to have one general answer. Everyone has their own story of how technology has helped them one way or another, but they also have ways its been more of a burden. As technology continues to evolve and computer systems such as AI begin to become more developed and wide spread, we will all have to continue to learn and shape our relationships with technology.