Technology is like most everything else in life: it can be amazing but also can be devastating. For instance, College can be an enlightening place where you learn new things and meet new people but it can also be a place that can swallow you with debt and addictive substances. Too many times people take an extreme stance on technology: either stating that it is saving us from the perils of nature or enslaving us. Extremism is not exclusive to the debate surrounding technology; it often pervades every discussion. Reverting back to the parallel of a college education, there is one camp that believes the modern-day college education is a scheme for colleges and debt collectors to prosper while kids leave college with nothing more than debt and a worthless degree. However, than there are those who rave about the necessity of a $100,000 liberal arts education even though statistics may call that into question.[1] Who is telling the truth? The answer lies somewhere in the middle. A college degree will help you in the workplace, yet undertaking massive amounts of debt and majoring in a degree that has bleak economic prospects should be avoided. Technology is exactly like this. Technology should be embraced for its benefits yet approached cautiously.
Let’s not forget exactly what technology is. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, technology is “the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes.” It is more than the computer you are using right now as you skim my article while simultaneously examining everyone’s weekend on Facebook. It is the medical treatment that saved you from that infection that would have killed you 500 years ago, it is that car that allows you to go to work instead of trudge in the cold, and it is the modern farming products that can feed more people than ever before on smaller and smaller amounts of land. Although you may rave about nature while overlooking the Grand Canyon or jogging through your local forest preserve, it was also the sworn enemy of your ancestors. Civilization has been nothing more than the gradual conquering of nature by us with our favorite weapon: technology. So next time you hear someone curse out technology please remind them how the comfort of modern life is largely due to technology.
But wait, don’t dismiss these technology bashers as Walden-inspired nutjobs either; they raise many valid points. Technology is truly a double edged-sword. Yes, it has expanded life expectancy and comfortable, but has it truly made life better or fulfilling? It doesn’t seem so when you look around and see everyone on their smartphones. I know technology has made my life seem emptier at times. Around sophomore year of high school, Facebook was my drug of choice. I cannot count how many hours a day I would scroll down the news feed. Instead of conversing with people at school I would be scrolling through Facebook on my phone. I would go to my room to start my homework and instead, two hours later, would be still on Facebook. The time Facebook stole from my life does not compare to the emptiness it would make me feel. By looking through everyone’s stuff I felt like I was in constant competition with everyone else. Seeing a crush enter a relationship or the booze-filled party I didn’t go to all over the Internet just kind of depressed me. When I posted statuses or pictures I realized it was just an attempt to seek the approval and attention of others. That is how Facebook thrives: on our inherent nature of wanting to impress everyone and on our fear of missing out. Well I am thankful for all the medical advances, economic growth, and comfort that technology has allowed me to experience, I can’t deny that I haven’t allowed it to harm me in some ways either.
But there is a still a way to co-exist with technology and all of the benefits it brings us while minimizing the harms it does to us. I did not delete my Facebook. I did delete it off my phone though, only check it once a day maximum, have gone weeks without checking it, and may delete it in the future. I don’t have an Instagram, yet do tweet about once a week. There is also no way in hell I am giving up my iPhone. I still use the Internet, but I don’t aimlessly wander the web. This is just my solution to the problems technology posed in my life. I use technology when it benefits me, but I cut out all the facets of it that distract me from my goals and make me unhappy. You should do the same. Everyone’s solution will be different then mine. Evaluate what technology you use, why you use it, and then adjust accordingly.
[1] http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/HardTimes2013.PressRelease.pdf
Ben, this was an interesting take on the topic of technology. I like how you related the topic to different aspects of life, such as college (an experience all of us can relate to). I also like how you used your personal anecdote of Facebook to show how one can take the goods from technology and cut down on the bad parts as much as possible. The essay was well written and I can hear your voice through the words. The personal anecdotes were great for the essay, but I think if you had included some other form of evidence, it would have made your essay stronger. Overall, very well written!
I think you bring up a great argument when forcing your reader to consider technology from a more general standpoint than to point fingers at specific forms of technology that have been deemed harmful. The college analogy worked well, but it could have been more effective if you incorporated it somewhere later on in the essay, perhaps in the conclusion as another example of the ways you can achieve balance and avoid extremism. Overall, this was enjoyable to read and effectively thought-provoking.
I felt like your personal voice really shone throughout the essay. I appreciated the casual tone and how it read as almost a story. It was especially fitting since you discussed a topic that is very relatable and personal for most people. However, a lot of the essay does focus on personal experiences. I think that if you can weave more general, objective, third-party observations and suggestions into your own anecdotes and stories, it will help the reader relate to your ideas more strongly. Perhaps that will allow the reader to more strongly see him or herself mirrored in your experiences.
This essay does a good job of identifying the good and bad parts of technology, with a plethora of examples. I also liked the analogy in the first paragraph about a college education, however, it would have been nice if perhaps that was the central topic of the essay by elaborating on the many different ways technology is used in college. This essay read much like a blog and less like a critical essay due to writing nearly the whole essay on personal experiences or in the first person.