"Technology is Ruining Society."

"Technology is Corrupting Emotions."

"Technology is Destroying Quality Human Interaction."

These are just some of the articles that can be found online about technology and its effect. All too often, we hear about technology in a negative light and are told that it's ruining our lives. The big, bad technology monster has consumed our time, communication, relationships and values. An inanimate concept has the ability to control our actions and thoughts.

Huh?

How does it make sense that technology is to blame for human actions?

Answer, it doesn't.

Modern technology is a blessing, not a curse. If it becomes something that people spend excessive amounts of time and thought on, that is the fault of the user, not the product. Just because a person has difficulty with self control doesn't mean that eliminating the thing they're infatuated with will solve the issue. If the problem lies with the individual, odds are they will find something else to consume their time just the same.

Technology is incredible! The problems associated with it are all caused by humans.

Here are just a few amazing things that communication technology allows me and others to do.

1. Navigate to any address in the world with a constantly updated GPS.

2. Screenshare on my computer with my sister back home and help her work on her college applications.

3. Video call with my exchange student from this past year and get to see her life in Germany that she had told me all about when she was here.

4. Keep in touch with friends from all over the world that I've made over the course of high school, college and vacations.

5. Update my friends and family who I might not see often on my path to achieving my career goals.

6. Choose and update my Walt Disney World fastpasses (one of my personal favorite technologies).

7. Back up my photos and videos automatically so I never have to worry about losing the snapshots of time that mean so much to me.

8. Find necessary translations to communicate with people of different languages.

9. Get educated on any topic I could possibly imagine.

10. Find my dream jobs and contact possible employers.

11. Join communities of people who go through the same struggles and achievements as me and share ideas of how to be successful.

12. Share my opinions and experiences through Odyssey!

Technology is capable of being a purely positive factor in our lives. Any negativity it causes is due to its misuse by people. It's up to you to make the best of the communication tools that we're so fortunate to have!