Lauren Brakel - Techno Heck No: The Negative Impacts of Technology on Today’s Society

Techno Heck No: 

The Negative Impacts of Technology on Today’s Society

Technology breakthroughs have been developing and progressing since 1876 when the first telephone was invented,  to 1925 when the first television was invented then continuing on to the next huge breakthrough in 1946 when the first computer was made. From there we moved to the laptop in 1981 as well as the continuation of the telephone which in 1973 was made portable more commonly known as the cellphone, in 1992 the cellphone upgraded to a smartphone, introducing almost a whole different device to the world and from there everything continued to get better, more efficient and every system more advanced. While technology was made to bring us all closer together and to assist us in in better and more efficient communication it seems to have spun out of control and while it may have been doing those things for awhile it has now begun to do the complete opposite. Society today has become so dependant on technology that it follows us wherever we go, there is no getting away from it and if for some reason we are deprived of it in instances such as power outages, computer errors, teenagers being grounded, etc, we are almost completely and utterly lost. Society’s reliance on technology has become so extreme that what was once created so that people could have advantages in their everyday life has now become a weapon accessible to everyone.

Society has become so reliant on technology that it has now become a necessity and a priority wherever someone goes. This image portrays a couple who has gone on vacation, they both have gotten away from their jobs and any other obligations they may have had at home to go away to a nice beach and have a nice getaway with each other. As you can see even though they have managed to physically leave their home and obligations and lives they are still mentally with them, checking updates, texts and any other notifications on their phones. Technology has made us so that we are never truly away from our lives, we are always connected and following everything that is going on. It has also placed a barrier between us, rather than this couple enjoying the beautiful weather and talking and enjoying one another they are wrapped up in their phones, in lives separate from each other.

Young children require 2-3 hours of physical activity a day  to properly grow and develop. Instead many children get zero to one third of this amount, what they are getting is 7.5 hours per day on average of entertainment technology. This much technology a day can lead to various problems such as developmental delays, obesity, mental illness and, ADHD. The image on the right portrays two children, both not only playing on electronics instead of being outside but also ignoring each other. Electronics not only take away children's fresh air and physical activity but also social interaction, most children learn social interaction at a very young age, going to parks and different classes and events and making friends all over the place because of their innocence and because they are nonjudgemental this is a very good thing, it teaches children the basics of friendliness and interaction and it keeps them happy. Unfortunately not all children do this anymore, they are so wound up in their ipad or whatever else they’re playing on that they have no idea what’s going on around them leaving them with little to no social interaction skills which puts them at a disadvantage in the future.

Another area of reliance on technology lies in the medical profession. Doctor’s have become so dependant on technology that they rarely even interact with their patients, instead they stare at their computer screens and research possible issues. Doctors are so reliant on online research and articles as well as different tests such as MRI’s, CT’s, X Rays and many others. Many of the older Doctors believe that the younger ones are losing all the old skills that used to be critical when it came to making a quick and accurate diagnosis. Most of the skills that are being claimed that they are losing are the ones part of the physical exam, many of the older Doctors believe that this is one of the most important tests and it’s generally fast and accurate. The physical test consists of doctors flashing lights into the pupils, watching the way a patient walks, pushing and tapping on the abdomen and listening to the chest with a stethoscope. Even though this test is easy and doesn’t take as much time in this day and age it isn’t weighted with as much importance because it requires doctors to use their own judgement, something they are told not to trust without the backup of technology.

Cyberbullying is a major issue when it comes to technology, especially common but not exclusively with teenagers cyber bullying occurs with one of its biggest sources being social media. Cyberbullying is one of the worst forms of bullying because unlike other forms of bullying the predator doesn’t have to see their prey, they have no idea how much damage they have caused to the other person because they are hiding behind their screens which can cause them to say things much worse than what they might say to a person’s face. Cyberbullying occurs in many different ways, in schools it is quite common, but is also found in workplace environments and even just through strangers. 25 percent of teens report they have experienced repeated bullying via their cell phone or through social media, of those people who reported those incidents 33 percent of them, one third, reported that their bullies issued online threats. Cyber bullying is a very serious issue and it was created through technology, anyone can type something and press the send button and once it has been sent it can never be taken back so whether or not  that person actually meant what they said there will always be physical proof of it somewhere after it has been delivered.

In conclusion technology, although it may have been created as something positive and beneficial, has had negative impacts on the world and has made many more serious issues for today’s society.