Abuse of Technology

Technology may be increasing faster than our ability to use it wisely.
Describe a specific situation in which a new technology might not be beyond our ability to use it wisely. Discuss what you think determines whether or not a new technology can be used wisely.
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Since the beginning of time, human beings have invented tools to adapt to their environment. Inventions, such as the use of fire and hunting tools, helped people survive in settings lacking warmth and vegetation. Humans also created weapons to defend their land from those seeking to take over. Inventions of today's age have taken on a new dimension with the wide availability of the internet. Unlike the basic tools concocted by early inhabitants, the digital technology of today's world do not serve humans' basic needs, such as nourishment and shelter---they, however, allow people to improve their quality of life by providing efficient ways of completing work and daily tasks. These new tools (as well as old tools), however, can be abused to the point that some people are really better off without them.

The internet has greatly facilitated globalization--or rather, the shrinking of our world where physical distance and boundaries become erased. People from opposite sides of the world can interact with each other on real time with a click of a button. In the last five years, social networking sites, such as Facebook, have virtually become staples in the lives of young adults in developed countries. Facebook has allowed people to connect with others in an unprecedented way---from long-lost relatives and high school classmates to random people in the street. While these connections may help build relationships and networking opportunities, Facebook has been misused by many members. Some have developed an addiction to the site, spending an inordinate amount of time reading updates of "friends" and stalking profiles. Instead of completing useful daily tasks, they fill their minds with useless information and become intrigued by the daily activities and thoughts of others who provide them with no real value. In a sense, people have used Facebook to replace real interactions with people and distract themselves from important tasks.

The internet has also been abused in a myriad of other ways. People have profited by taking advantage of human weakness in running gambling, prostitution, and pornography sites. Others see it as an opportunity to steal money and run scams. Indeed, all communication technologies that have preceded the internet (e.g., telephone, pager, television, radio, etc.) have been used for these same base purposes. All these technologies carry value in allowing more people to communicate with each other and spread information in a more efficient way. As the concept of yin and yang illustrates, there is a bad that accompanies every good.

One way to help people use technology wisely is through education. For instance, teenagers can be shown how social networking sites can be abused to the point of affecting their studies. Schools can focus on inculcating "values" in students and teaching them how to defend themselves from negative influences in life. The government and the FCC might be able to step in and regulate more activities in the web. Granted, free speech activists will take issue with this. However, someone or some entity should be taking steps to prevent people from abusing the internet to further their base purposes.

In viewing the ways technology has been misused, it is important not to forget about its positive effects and contributions to human life. For example, the internet has helped people organize their finances and effectively conduct honest businesses. People who are educated and understand how to use the internet to enhance their lives will, of course, benefit from greater advances in the technology. However, it is inevitable that new technologies will be used in malevolent ways. Some people in the world lack self-discipline or a conscience to do the "right" things in life. It is important, however, to not allow concern for the actions of bad apples to stifle innovators' abilities to create new technologies in the service of human kind.