Role of Technology as improving Human Life

The role of technology should be to improve human life, but not to affect human values.
Discuss what you think determines whether or not technology should affect human values.
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The development of technology reflects a dynamic world with endless possibilities. Throughout time, humans have used their accumulated body of knowledge to create certain tools and develop skills to serve different purposes in society. As time moves on, the outpour of technology has become more sophisticated in its functions and purposes. While technology has the promise of improving human life, it also carries possibilities of abuse in the hands of the wrong people. It also may affect human values in adverse ways such that people lose part of their humanity and connection to nature.

Oftentimes, technology is used to improve human life and make arduous tasks more feasible. In the case of the United States and other economic powers, technology has allowed society to evolve from a subsistence lifestyle to one that allows people to specialize in a skill and outsource other tasks. This ability to specialize has, in turn, led to more accumulated and complex knowledge in certain subject matters and increased innovation. Furthermore, the advancement in technologies especially-- in the last quarter century--has led to increased communication among human beings without the past limitations of distance and borders. The internet has, in a sense, made our world smaller since people from opposite sides of the globe may communicate and conduct negotiations in real time with a click of a button.

With almost all good things in the world, there exists downsides. While technology can be used to improve human life, there may be adverse consequences. For example, technology can be implemented as a tool for control. Weapons, for instance, are used to kill or threaten people and nations. People also lose a certain amount of privacy with increased use of the internet. Companies, for example, can target customers by purchasing private information and web preferences from data mining companies. The negative possibilities of advancements of technologies are endless and also have been the topic of dystopian classics of literature, such as Brave New World and 1984.

The negative impacts of technology are not only a result of by those seeking personal gain and power. Technology also has certain unintentional consequences; in particular, it can adversely affect human values. For instance, it may cause people to lose their connection with humanity and nature. While the internet can connect people from long distances, it also has led some to prefer "virtual" contact over actual human contact. Some have lost the ability to read and connect with others on a personal level due to the inordinate time spent in front of a computer. Furthermore, advancements in technology has led some to lose their human instincts and ability to do certain tasks for themselves. They over rely on technologies to perform all tasks and they then develop a sense of lethargy. The simple pleasure, for instance, of taking a walk outside to go to the store or to do chores has become--for some-- an act of drudgery and waste of time. Using cars to travel short distances has become the norm and people, as a result, now lead sedentary lifestyles.

The advancements in technology throughout time has showcased the possibilities of human ingenuity. It has allowed societies to develop in dynamic ways, as well as ease the lives of future generations. While technology can be used to improve human life, there are always possibilities of abuse. People can use this accumulated knowledge to gain power and compromise the health and safety of others. Technology also carries the danger of dehumanizing people and isolating them from real human connections and nature. Therefore, it is vital for societies to maintain an open dialogue about the benefits AND the downsides of technology. Unfettered use of technology, indeed, can cause havoc in society such as those predicted in the dystopian classics of literature.