Technology has proven to be very important in terms of helping the human population, such as improving performance in job related tasks, helping with the economy, and expanding entertainment options. However, as time continues, many argue that technology will eventually be a threat to humans. There have been many interpretations of technology being harmful to society such as in Isaac Asimov’s book Runaround (1942) and movies like The Terminator (1984), both explaining the consequences of robotics. Even though technology benefits society in many ways, people should discuss what negative effects technology could have on the future.
Besides looking at movies and science fiction books, many other sources examine the possibilities of how technology can take a toll on society. According to The Century Foundation, “Our strongest evidence is for the existence of industrial-robot-led job displacement… with young, less-educated men and women bearing the brunt of the job losses.” We could soon enter into an age where technology, such as robotics, may become the next labor force, replacing humans.
The world has also entered into the Nuclear age, which began on July 16th, 1945, when the first test of the atomic bomb took place in the New Mexico desert. According to Khan Academy, “The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, killing 210,000 people—children, women, and men.” With the rise of atomic bombs, there came a whole new range of controversial issues, such as the Chernobyl disaster on April 26th, 1986.
Technology doesn’t just affect weaponry, but also human health. As mentioned in Wisconsin Public Radio, Melissa Westendorf, a clinical and forensic psychologist, stated, “Research on the brain has shown that individuals who spend as little as three hours on technology a day can have effects on their brain structures. This can cause an under development in interpersonal relations, reading social cues, and interacting with other people.” With technology, in terms of computers and smartphones, there has also been a 70% increase in near-sightedness in young children from the 1970s to 2015, according to Westendorf.
The world dwells in the Information Age, where technology remains more abundant and used than ever before, but what happens if people separate from technology? No definite answer exists to what might happen if humans became cut off from technology; however, it may be safe to say that technology does have negative effects. Technology doesn’t always impact humans negatively, but people should educate themselves about what consequences could come from new technologies.
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