From game changing location-based augmented reality like Pokemon Go to 3D printing real body parts, it's pretty clear we are in the Future. The question that remains is: how are technological advancements really affecting us?
There are many supporters of both opinions, but what is it really doing?
The Audi drone attack commercial and I, Robot have appealed to our concerns and fed our insecurities. Will technology help us enough to justify the negative things it has done? I wholeheartedly believe so. This may be because I was quizzed on how fast I could type in elementary school or it might be because I see what we have and could achieve with it. A new way to call a cab, a way to share your Kodak moment, an app that lets you feed your dog, all of these change how we function in day-to-day life. Or maybe simply through logical deduction.
Lately, the media has focused on the bad and ugly in relation to how technology affects us. I am going to try something different. I am going to show you the good I have seen. I am not saying that technology comes without consequence. We all have that friend who seems to be on social media 24/7. They comment on every post and always seem to be on their phone even mid-conversation. Or how about when you go to lunch with a friend and can’t find anything to talk about after seeing her recent trip pictures on Instagram and Facebook posts about her new puppy. Social interaction has been taken from meaningful face to face conversations and diluted to hollow compliments and Facebook likes. I once had a professor who allowed me into his capped History course just because “You took the time to meet with me in person instead of adding to me 100+ email requests.” I have discovered it’s all about finding a balance between technology and personal social interaction. I know I would be thrilled to have Dominos switch to drone delivery, it would cut pizza delivery time in half!
The benefits of technology really outweigh the negatives as long as we are aware of them. It has given a platform to share education with the world. It has helped doctors 3D print organ replacements to save lives. It has given those with disabilities a way to see and walk again. Even with all the unfortunate events that have happened recently, technology has found a way to help saves lives. There is now a piece of tech that can pinpoint where a gunshot was fired and denote it on a building blueprint. This saves time and guesswork in mass shooting situations in which seconds determine who lives and dies. Technology is saving lives. I am okay if we sacrifice a little bit of social interaction to get there.
