Week 16: Technology

First off, the background music for the video “Shift Happens” was incredible. I used to use the theme from “Last of the Mohicans” to pump me up before football games all the time. I have a feeling I’ve seen a video like that before, and even if I have seen it before I’m still blown away by some of the facts laid out in it. The video, looking back, makes me feel somewhat small in the grand scheme of things. Remembering my first computer in the early 90’s and looking at the laptop I have now, the difference in graphics, size, and speed is incredible. Technology is advancing so fast that we can’t keep up. I fully believe, however, that because technology is allowing us to connect with people faster and people who are farther away, it’s detracting from our personal experiences with people. The only time I receive handwritten letters are on birthdays and Christmas. Several years ago I used to receive letters at least once a month. Email has taken away from our personal experience and instant messaging and text messaging allow us to connect instantly with people without any actual person to person contact. I think technology is improving our educational system because we’re able to share information so quickly. However, because information is so easy to obtain, sometimes people spread false information and we’re unable to get the facts right. Our educational system, from my experience, has kept up with the times. Technology is constantly being updated in classrooms, which is helpful. With all the improvements in technology we need to find a healthy balance between manpower and using machines. If we tend to rely on technology too much, we will gradually become too dependent and will become helpless in certain situations – and technology doesn’t always work, unlike manpower. Technology is growing at an alarming rate – as well as human population. It’s benefiting us greatly, but it’s also hurting us. As technology advances, jobs that once required skilled labor are being taken over by machines. Information is able to be spread instantaneously, which is great, but it needs to be monitored to make sure it’s accurate. In conclusion, I’m nervous about what the future holds due to how fast technology is advancing. It leads to job losses and will gradually make us dependent on technology to a point where we won’t be able to perform duties that once made us human.