The Era of Dependency on Technological Advancement

 By Jan Emmy Julve

The reliance that we have developed on various forms of technology is growing.  The realm of technology is something that we, the children of the 21st century, are born into. From the manner in which we communicate to the manner in which we travel, in the process of meeting new people, in the process of buying our things, or in the process of cooking our meals, and so many other things to list. The advancement of technology has made our lives simpler. And certainly, I can say that I, along with a great number of other people, are unable to give up on technology.

People have been sending mail to their loved ones as far back as the 1800s, and some have even paid others to send their mail on their behalf. It was an old form of communication. Then a revolution in technology occurred, which simplified our methods of communication. We no longer needed to travel to other locations in order to converse or send mail; all that was required was a single click on our mobile phones. If you were to tell someone who had lived in the 1800s about this one, about the way we communicate, they probably wouldn't believe that we had progressed this far, they would think we are idiots, but the truth is that we did, and it's all thanks to technological  advancements.

So, if I were to sit here and try to fathom what life would be like without technology.  I wouldn't be typing this long rant about technology on my laptop; rather, I'd be standing outside in the bright sunlight, searching for light so that I can write on paper with a quill pen (wow Shakespeare). On a hot summer day, I wouldn't be able to appreciate the cool air from the air conditioner. I wouldn't be able to keep up with all of my favorite Netflix shows and anime. I wouldn’t be able to travel quickly from one place to another whenever there are tiring school errands. I would also have been dressed differently. Because these clothes I am wearing are products of technology. My reasons are trivial and petty, and I’m sure there are others who have more reasonable concerns about what would occur in their lives if technological advancements are not made. But these are my reasons.

Reasonable reasons like, society will crumble, the speed at which information can be transmitted will be slowed, and we will be unable to determine whether we are being attacked by terrorists or other nations in this region of our country. We were unable to keep up with the latest trends. The development of our educational system would go more slowly, because there we couldn’t research quickly on the internet, and research also contributes to the betterment of our society. Everything is interconnected and related. The advent of technology has brought us together. It is a terrifyingly beautiful concept for me.

So no, technology is hard to let go, (like an old toxic lover). We owe a lot to technology. We are now in a situation where we are really reliant on it. And as for me, I don't consider it to be an entirely negative thing at all. We are humans who are responding to the changes that are occurring in our environment, and I believe that it is very normal for us to adapt to technology and to become dependent on it. We should just put it to good use and keep our fingers crossed that this will not also lead to our demise.