Don’t Let Technology Take Over!

We Still Matter

There is definitely a place for technology in modern society. A big, welcoming space exists for tech which improves and enhances society.

But it is beginning to feel as though technology is pushing itself outside of that space and finding ways to infiltrate parts of our lives where it is not only damaging, but wholly unwelcome.

With a varying amount of legislative control measures in place, tech seems to be invading our world, and indeed our lives, at a worrying rate, relatively unchecked.

Even this morning, the News spoke about the fact that seeing violence online is unavoidable for young people.

Unavoidable? Have we totally lost control of the internet then?

A World Full Of Tech

Technology has rapidly developed since the 1990s, when the internet first became a thing.

In a previous article, I wrote about some of the concerns linked to its intoxicating nature:

Many advocate how brilliant technology has been in allowing us to travel around the globe quicker. This is very true. We can fly around the planet in a day and drive individually around our countries whenever we wish.

But faster travel isn’t always efficient. And it has led to devastating amounts of pollution which have accelerated global warming.

Medics often discuss the incredible way that technology has enabled us to scan the inside of our bodies, seek out cancer and treat our struggling eyes using lasers.

This is an area in which tech has been revolutionary. But there are still cautions.

Only yesterday there were reports that medical treatments such as bottom enlarging are taking place without regulation. It is legal to perform such surgeries without medical qualifications in the UK.

So a bottom filling operation may lead to scarring, serious infection and even life changing results. Unchecked.

A Technological World Is A Mixed Bag

Here are some aspects of modern technology that make me think we are at risk of losing control:

• There is now a possibility that when we watch an online video, it isn’t real. An AI-generated politician could be spewing hate and we would have no idea that it isn’t the real deal person.
• Robots are starting to think independently. In Japan, robotic waiters assist you whilst ordering food in restaurants. They make choices about what to suggest and hold conversations with customers which could be misleading.
• Bots online are trolling social media and scamming us every day. Whether winding up hatred or simply scaring us into paying for parking tickets that don’t exist, this type of technological advancement is threatening.
• Apps are telling us what to think and how to behave. Even therapy is moving online. People are getting mental health advice from preprogrammed apps. Is this healthy?
• Electronic devices are protecting and controlling key situations and places. Increasingly used in defence and energy generation, technology is running our nuclear power stations and potentially triggering alarms. Hopefully we still have humans monitoring threats of war, making sure our nuclear power stations are not overheating and keeping a check on this new tech. But who knows?!

In A Nutshell

I suppose my writing can seem alarmist but I just want to make sure that this fast paced technological advancement is being monitored.

We deserve to maintain control over our lives and resources. Someone needs to stand over technology’s shoulder and keep an eye on it.

My worry is that our dependency on tech is changing. We are less symbiotic in our relationship these days.

Tech seems to be taking the front seat and we are becoming the passengers in a ride that has no known final destination.

What are your thoughts on technological advancement?