In the literary work “God’s Debris” by Scott Adams, the character of the old man states that the need for technology is something we cannot resist. Such a statement strikes fear in the hearts of people such as Nicholas Carr, the author of the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid”. This fear of technological advancement has existed in humans from the very beginning of time. Similarly to humans inability to resist a need for technology, the fear of technological advancement is something we cannot resist.
Technology is fundamental in our society. From the use of technology in entertainment to its use in the medical field, technology is prevalent in everyday life. Our need for technology has become a dependency on it. With this dependency on technology, we also depend on technological advancement. When our society is faced with an issue, the answer has been to find a technological fix. As this method proved effective, society saw the importance of good technology. The advancement of technology is a mandatory aspect of the improvement of life. This is clearly demonstrated in technologies role in medicine. As medical technologies advance, the lives of many are drastically improved. From mobile heart monitors to improvement of prosthetics, the dependency on technology and its advancement is firmly rooted in medicine as it is in humans. Our need of technology stems from our innate needs such as caregiving and answering the unsolved questions surrounding us. In using technology, we are able to provide care for each other in a more efficient and effect way. We are also about to come to a better understand of our surrounding world with the use of technology. An example of technology aiding in answering our unanswered questions can be found in science. Through the use of technology use as microscopes, we are able to answer questions that would otherwise be impossible. By appealing to these innate needs and many others, technology becomes essential.
As much as humans depend on technology and its advancement, they fear it. An example of an expression of this fear can be found in the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid”. In this article, the author Nicholas Carr clearly states his fears associated with technological advancement and its association with humans thought process. This is shown when Carr writes, “As we come to rely on computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence” (Carr 1). This fear of technology and its advancement has always existed. Many people throughout history have expressed their fear of technological advancements. One advancement centered around the classroom that many feared, was the use of chalk boards. They feared that the use of chalk boards could interfere with children’s ability to focus and full grasp concepts. Although the debate has changed from the effects of chalk boards to the effects of technology such as the use of laptops, the fear surrounding this technology is the same. This fear has generated critical conversations surrounding the use of these technologies and the effects of their use.
The need for technology and our inability to refrain from our fear of it may seem incompatible, but work to provide a balance in our society. The fear of technological advancements helps to censor its advancements. By fearing the effects of technology, society looks further into the outcomes of its actions/ the creation of some form of technology. This deeper level of examination helps to prevent the use of technology in a way that would abuse its effectiveness and power. An example of this is again clear in the medical use of technology. Technological advancements have made many wonderful things possible such as the restoration of hearing, but has also opened doors towards a more troubling path. A troubling path medical technology could advance to revolves around eugenics. Eugenics aims to improve the genetic quality of humans. Although this may seem well- intentioned, the application of eugenics has often resulted in discrimination. With advancements in embryonic technologies, the selection of genetic traits is becoming more feasible. This is where our fear of technology and its advancement is capable to make us question the use of such technology and its acceptability.
Our need for technology is intertwined with our need for the fear of it. Although technology is essential to our society, it is mandatory that the fear of technology governs an aspect of our decision of its uses and applications. This makes both our need and our fear of technology equally indispensable.
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