Technology : The Ups and Downs – Joseph Kim, Tiffin School

The GOOD…

Technology has allowed for more efficient work and development in the world cutting down time taken to perform a task. Technology has revolutionised our communication with the invention of things such as the telephone and cellphone where these telephones became small enough to fit in out pockets. The more recent smart phones can act as a way to surf the web, take photos and videos, make calls and messages and play games for entertainment. The invention of the internet has allowed for news and information to be shared throughout the world in an instant, something that previously would have to be done on foot or horse. Technological advancements in medicine has saved billions of lives as vaccines and cures to diseases are found. Further advancements in the exploration of the earth, space and the ocean have further helped us to understand the history of our planet and where we are heading. Transport has also been a major benefactor of technological advancement as the creation of cars, buses and trains allow for both more safer and faster travel. The invention of the aeroplane has connected the world making countries that previously seemed impossibly far away to just a single 4 hour flight away. The above showcases only a small portion of what human society has benefitted from technology.

and the BAD

Over the years, and especially nowadays, technological advancements have lead to a sharp rise in pollution. It is thought that around 22 billion devices are connected to the internet and this obviously means a lot of waste. It is thought that more than 50 million metric tons of e-waste is generated globally every year, averaging some seven kilograms of e-waste per capita. With the birth of new technology there is also the increase in industrialisation which causes much of the pollution in the air, water and soil. Increase in industrialisation leads to further emissions of greenhouse gases which heat up the world increasing global warming as well as causing noise pollution to the surroundings. New technology also requires further material and resources to create. This can lead to further exploitation of perhaps lower income countries in order to obtain these materials. Over-exploitation of natural resources can lead to a damaged ecosystem in the area which can have various negative effects depending on the material and method of extraction. With invention of things such as robots employment opportunities plummet as there is no longer a demand for human workers but instead robots who do their job perfectly. Most machines can perform the task at hand with much more efficiency and due to this many people lose their job which increases rates of unemployment. This can lead to homelessness and increase in stress and anxiety. Social media is also a form of digital technology which has been a major cause of depression, laziness, sleep loss, anxiety and loss of communication and intimacy. Social media has been the home to cyberbullying and privacy invasion which have left a negative impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing.

What can be done to stop the negatives

Reducing energy consumption and making industrialisation more sustainable are steps that can be taken to prevent the increase of global warming by technology. Safety measures and age restrictions on social media can help prevent cyberbullying and the invasion of privacy. Recycling of tech can be more utilised to ensure that not as much technology is wasted. The waste of tech can be further prevented with more tools to provide customers the ability repair their device and tax benefits are provided to tech companies in order to make their products manufacturing process more sustainable and the products themselves more durable.