So, I think most people can agree that our modern era seems to be the "age of technology." There are new ideas, innovations, and inventions being introduced to society every year, increasing our use of technology.
This morning I was sitting in class, and my professor asked us a question to consider and share our opinions about. My major is social work, so essentially, it's all about therapy, counseling, and meeting with people to discuss the issues and problems they are facing in their lives. Naturally, you could assume that this is something that must be done face-to-face in order to build trust with the client, assess body language, and be able to adequately communicate with them about the issues they are having. Recently though, there has been some major controversy in the field regarding if therapy sessions and meetings with clients should be done more using technology rather than meeting face-to-face. This would include things such as Skype, phone calls, instant messaging, etc. in order to perform therapy sessions in a long-distance way.
Anyway, my point is, this got me thinking about the negative and the positive effects that technology can bring to our daily lives. So, here are some of the aspects I thought of in regards to this topic.
Positive Aspects of Technology:
1. Being able to constantly communicate with others. It can be nice to just pick up the phone and call someone or send a quick text in order to communicate with other people.
2. Technology such as the internet gives easy access to information for anyone. If I have a question, I can go to google and find tons of websites full of information that could answer any questions I have. Even using GirlsAskGuys as an example, this makes it so easy to express ourselves and help other people we don't even know. Some people have questions that they may not be comfortable asking their friends or family, the internet makes it easy to get answers to those questions. We can share information with people in totally different countries just in a matter of seconds.
3. Modern medicine is an incredible thing. I classify this as part of "technology." Simple illnesses that used to be fatal can now be prevented more easily and treated more effectively. The science of medicine has come a very long way and it is only continuing to progress as more and more research is being conducted in various medical fields.
4. Travel convenience. Technology has made it easier than ever to travel long distances in a relatively short amount of time. Cars, trains, planes, etc. all work to transport not only people, but various products as well to different parts of the world.
5. Increased way of life, technology has contributed to basic things that many people may take for granted such as running water, electric lights, and flushing toilets. These are all ways that technology has incredibly benefitted us.
Negative Aspects of Technology
1. Dependency. So many people are so reliant on technology that they "forget" how to do things and how to live without it. I have met a lot of people who can barely function without their cell phone glued to their side.
2. Loss of social interaction skills. Of course, this obviously doesn't apply to everyone but I've met some people who have absolutely no idea how to interact with people in person, rather than through technology. They seem "normal" when I speak to them through text or when I see them post on social media, but when I see them in person, they seem to have no social interaction skills at all.
3. Job loss. In our modern world, various methods of technology are quickly replacing human workers.
4. Decreased competency. This could fall under "dependency" but looking at it in a different way, how many people can perform math in their heads without the use of a calculator? I'm sure plenty can but a lot of people need a calculator just to do basic mathematical functions. Another example is the use of spell check. People rely on these things a lot in our society, and in some ways, you could say that this technology has made some people lazy.
5. Distraction. This is probably one of the biggest "cons" of the use of technology. Distracted driving seems to be one of the leading causes of accidents. I know so many people who text and drive or make phone calls when they're driving. It can be quite dangerous.
Overall, technology in and of itself is not "good" or "bad." I think it just depends on how people use it. So tell me, what are your thoughts on technology and it's place in our modern society?
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