Technology: A Benefit or a Bane?

Like any major shift in society’s demographic, the integration of technology with the everyday lives of people all over the world carries both positive and negative repercussions. However, I feel that the benefits offered by technology far outweigh the detriments. Technology in education is especially wonderful, as multimedia can engage a student’s interest and put the “show” in show-and-tell. For a kinesthetic and visual learner like myself, being able to watch microscopic protists jetty around on a screen accompanied by interactive programs and advanced machinery far surpasses what I would learn by staring at motionless 2-D type. Also, the internet allows the entirety of humankind’s knowledge to be placed hovering at a student’s fingertips. Students learn more when there is more available to learn, and the internet provides the information. A student can research anything from the economic concerns of middle-class laborers during the 60’s to the composition of the mortar used to build the Great Wall of China.

Another reason that technology has benefited the world is in the speed and ease of communication. Whereas it used to take months for a letter to travel cross country, carried by complete strangers heading to who knows where, a person in Switzerland can instantly communicate with a person in New Zealand and then receive instant feedback. This speed is extremely important in the relaying of news stories and updates. Whereas people in Ohio used to be isolated from events in Morocco, now news can spread quickly and easily, increasing the speed of the response and magnitude of aid, if needed. An excellent example of this is the recent and tragic tsunami that decimated much of southern Asia. In a similar instance during the eruption of Krakatoa in August 1883, inability to communicate left millions of people unprepared for the watery slaughter that headed their way, as the tsunami generated by the blast swept away entire islands in its deadly wake. However, due to the presence of modern technology, scientists during the recent tsunami were able to predict the path of the wave, assess the danger, and instantly alert threatened cities. This saved many lives that would have been added to the death toll. In addition, the efficiency of the news networks and their influence on billions of people around the world resulted in an elephantine relief effort that drenched southern Asia with millions of dollars in aid. I myself participated in a worldwide online art auction whose proceeds were donated to the relief effort. Without television and internet news mediums, this relief effort may never have happened or at least reached this magnitude, as was the case with Krakatoa.

I haven't even touched on the medical and health benefits or other successed of technology, but this should suffice to convey that technology has been a great attribute to our lives today. Even if it carries its internal evils, the bountiful benefits should take precedence over the negative.

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