I was watching a YouTube video where a guy makes a book using traditional methods, that is to say, by hand. I know what you’re thinking, “Why aren’t you watching Videos about technology?”, because I like things other than just Technology, that’s why. It was a cool video to watch, and I immensely enjoyed it. Watching craftspeople do their thing and do it well is always a pleasure to watch. The video was slightly soured for me because of one of the comments below the video. It went something along the lines of “It’s lovely to see people doing things properly. Technology has ruined everything.”
Now hang on just a second there. I don’t like that Technology gets a bad wrap for the world’s problems. There are many dangerous things out there that require Technology to work, but not all of our issues stem from Technology. In fact, there are quite a few good things about Technology.
1) Perception Vs. Reality – For as long as there has been science fiction, there has been a general fear and mistrust of Technology. I get it. From Frankenstein’s monster to Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey, the use of Technology or the Technology itself has been seen as being mistrustful. It’s easy, therefore, to see how people are willing to blame Technology for the woes of society. The problem isn’t the Technology itself, but the squishy carbon-based life forms (or humans) that are using it. For as long as people have been using tools to make thier lives better, there has always been someone using that same tool to make someone else’s life worse. It’s sadly human nature. Technology hasn’t reached the point where it can make decisions on its own, so the reality is that any issues we experience with our Technology are ultimately up to us to fix.
2) Education is Key – like literally EVERYTHING else in the world, the better educated and experienced we are with something, the better we’ll be able to use it. There are two factors which are causing the issue here. First, we as a society over the past few thousand years have become used to change happening super slowly, so any change is seen as suspect. The second factor is that, over the past 40 years, the technology world has undergone rapid changes at an increasingly rapid pace, with new developments emerging at an even faster rate. While trying to understand every aspect of Technology is damn near impossible (even for me), it’s important to make sure that you are at least aware of the fundamentals so that you can handle all the day-to-day Technology use that you would typically deal with. This involves keeping up with updates to take advantage of the newest features in any program. This also allows you to be secured by any security updates that come out, as the security landscape is ever-changing.
3) Technology has enabled us to do some terrible things – I’m not blind to the fact that some of the technological creations that have emerged have been capable of horrific acts. Everything from bombs getting more powerful to the threats in the cyber world makes it necessary for everyone to be careful of their online interactions. The trick, however, is that it’s not the Technology’s fault. Forgive me while I split hairs here, but while Technology is being used to commit these crimes and heinous acts, there is still a human being pushing “the button” to make it happen. There have always been people who wish to make others’ lives more difficult; the only reason that it feels more prominent now is because Technology has allowed those people to have a much broader reach. The trick is to ensure that you, as a user, are aware of the threats and knowledgeable enough to avoid them.
4) Technology has allowed us to achieve some amazing things – Over the past 200 years, the evolution of Technology has been truly remarkable. We have gone from horses and buggies to self-driving cars, from writing letters by hand and waiting for responses to having live text conversations and Zoom calls with people on the other side of the planet. There are numerous examples of how Technology has changed our lives, and being able to use all these tools has helped our society move forward.
There is no doubt that while modern Technology has brought about a different set of challenges, the advantages that it also gives us can hugely outweigh the downsides. The trick for us is knowing how to use these tools to our benefit. While digital Technology can seem overwhelming, the practical applications we can take advantage of are astounding and will bring about a significant change. It has been a privilege to see the changes that technological development has come up with in the past 30 years, and it will also be in the next 30. So while there will always be at least one person who disparages Technology and longs for “the good old days,” I would respectfully disagree, and I would counter with the fact that the good days are right now, and they are only going to get better.
This month, I wanted to explore technological trends and how they have changed our lives. When you stop and take a look at your day-to-day life, you’ll Notice That Technology’s influence is pretty much everywhere.
In the meantime, how do you use Technology?