Have We Become Too Dependent on Technology?


Technology, the word of modernity’s bombardment or so it seems. To this, we can account for our progression, and in making our lives significantly easier we are constantly told. Are we better off than our grandparents, or is the accumulation of technology become somewhat of an addiction of which has now only begun to show signs of being habit forming? After all, technology like any other thing is bad for you if consumed or used in excessive amounts. Therefore, it is my belief that technology has become as dispensable as big pharmaceutical drug company’s habit forming prescription drugs. The reasons for being are the conglomeration of technology in the platform of one source, the lack of learning to employ use of manual labor, and the adverse health effects of such prolonged use of electronic equipment.

Technology has been implemented in such a way as to detract one from their natural biological processes and way of living. Drawing from the era of our grandparents over sixty to seventy years ago, one cannot say technology did not exist then as it did. The difference between then and now is as astounding in the gradual erosion of fabric of societal construction, morals and ethics. This also applies to technological advancement more specifically with its deployment in our everyday lives. The Internet the most prized and valuable resource of information needs to be accessed through an electronic gadget, which conglomerates information to only one source—electronics from top manufacturers. What happens when you do not have one cannot pay for such access, or a virus destroys your gadget? Because of this, the electronic age has brought about a decreased need to learn to effectively perform tasks manually. Everything from cursive handwriting to basic mathematical operations has become a thing of the past. Critical thinking and analytical skills are diminishing in a frightening matter. So much so, that what was once known as common sense has become quite uncommon!

For example, how would you explain those crossing the street while sending a text message? Or those tooting the multi-tasking phenomenon bandwagon, which has since been disproven to be ineffective? Numerous studies from the medical and scientific field only reveal the decreased cognitive functions electronics such as “tablets” have on toddlers to literally rewire their brains. Remember, altered states of consciousness have been effectively performed with the flicker rate of television screens.

In closing, technology has become as dispensable as big pharmaceutical drug company’s habit forming prescription drugs. To accuse a statement as the sensationalism of attention grabbing would be to dismiss the hard evidence facing each and every one of us in the face. One does not have to look far to see the devastation upon this generation and the development of the future generations. Moderation has to become the name of the game. Just as grandmother warned our parents to not sit too close to the television screen, we must learn to discern ourselves with electronic gadgets.