The Dependence on Technology

        The world of technology is advancing with each passing day. Whether vehicles or cellular devices, corporations strive to put out a product with the latest technology to enhance peoples’ lives. People can now connect with their loved ones from another part of the world through a small screen. The advancements in medical technology has saved lives and allowed medical professionals to detect and treat illnesses quicker and more efficiently than ever before. There are cars that could now parallel park itself. The advantages of technology are numerous, and at times, technology is a necessity, yet like a drug, too much of anything can be dangerous. Technology controls who people are. Individuals wait like robots until their device lets them know what they will end up thinking and talking about that day. People have lost the sense of reality because they are living their lives through technology. These devices take away the things that make everybody human. The dependence on technology has gone too far.

        Professor at Columbia Law School and frequent writer for The New Yorker, Tim Wu speaks in his article, As Technology Gets Better, Will Society Get Worse?, of the hard working people of the Oji-Cree (Wu 1). Wu describes how their evolution in technology has been extremely beneficial, but it has also introduced them to many social issues (Wu 2). The Oji-Cree society must deal with issues of “idleness, alcoholism, drug addiction, and suicide” (Wu 2). This is an exact representation of American society. Americans live their lives through their technology until they set down their devices for one second and realize that their reality is nothing like their “digital lives”. That is when those social issues will arise. People feel alone or depressed which can lead to the problems of idleness, drug and alcohol issues, and suicide. The dependence on technology is too great, to the point where humans prefer a relationship with their new cell phones or laptops rather than developing a relationship with their fellow human beings.

        There is no doubt that the evolution of technology benefits society tremendously. It is a necessity when technology can be used to save a life. When it can assist people with disabilities, protect the military, or handle hazardous materials, then technology is proven necessary (Faigley, Selzer 436). Society needs technology to survive at times. Everyday, technology helps people at their jobs or students at school. But when it is used for, as Wu puts it, “self-evolution,” that is when a person begins to have social problems and allows technology to control them.

        The dependence on technology manipulates people and takes away from what makes people human. As writer and author Nicholas Carr writes in his Atlantic article, “My mind now expects to take in information the way the Net distributes it” (Carr 2). People want to get answers quickly, that is of the utmost importance. No longer can humans take in a big piece of information without dissecting it into smaller pieces, and then skimming through it to find what they want. Technology is continuing to control society and the way people think.

        To be human is to interact directly with another person. It is to experience one’s reality in its truest form. Human nature is about genuine relationships and cooperating with one another. It is about putting forth effort to resolve an issue or to gain knowledge. That is what makes people human, but technology is replacing these elements. With the touch of a button, an answer is provided to any question. Individuals can interact with others that they will never meet in their lives. Technology provides a way for people to live the life that they truly desire, making humans anti-social robots.

        Society can no longer live life without technology. People’s thoughts and compassion for one another is no longer enough to fulfill their lives. The dependence on technology in today’s world has grown too strong. With less dependency on devices, people can communicate and build relationships that will improve social issues and emotional health. It is the result of human minds and collaboration that has led to the advancements of technology, so there is nothing that people cannot overcome. Technology is at times necessary, but it is what makes people human that is a requirement for society. 
 

A Nation Of Immigrants

     For decades, illegal immigration has been a serious issue for the United States. Today, the solution for illegal immigration is continuously discussed by political leaders and citizens of America with approximately twelve million illegal immigrants residing in these United States. Amnesty is seen as a possible solution to this crisis. Many politicians and citizens view illegal immigrants as people who enrich the nation and are beneficial to the economy, and they believe that amnesty is the right solution to this problem. Other citizens view illegal immigrants as criminals or parasites to the United States while arguing that amnesty is a plan that is way too expensive to carry out. Due to the amount of benefits immigrants can have on America’s economy and the amount of money it would take for mass deportation, amnesty is the best possible solution for the immigration issue. American citizens and political leaders would now see how these new citizens of the country can benefit the economy and the many businesses of the United States.

America has provided many opportunities for those illegal immigrants who have lived in less fortunate places. These opportunities are what drives people to come into the country. Illegal immigrants come into the United States to work and to provide a better life for themselves and their families. Their hard work and their strive for a better life have led to plenty of numerous benefits to the economy, and especially for many businesses. Over five years, if work permits are given to these immigrants, they will contribute about $45 billion in payroll taxes to the American economy (Kristof 2). This is more beneficial when looking at the fact that immigrants are working the low-wage jobs that American citizens do not want to do. For over a decade, immigrants have also contributed $100 billion to Social Security without any intention of collecting benefits (Kristof 2). Immigrants are proved essential for an American economy that is already in debt. American businesses will grow and more jobs would have to be created, benefiting every person in the United States.

People opposed to illegal immigration view immigrants more as a problem than a benefit. They believe immigrants are criminals and argue that amnesty is just unaffordable. America currently has a national debt of $18 trillion, and as a country, the U.S. spends $600 billion more than it earns (Butowsky 1). With the cost of each illegal immigrant being about $14,000, the nation will be way more in debt if amnesty took place (Butowsky 1). Citizens remain concerned with the way America is spending their money and adding to the national debt.

Amnesty is definitely a costly solution, but having all the immigrants deported will also cost the country a lot of money. It would be extremely difficult to round up the millions of immigrants and deport them, and this would cost billions. Deportation is not a solution at all because there is nothing stopping those immigrants from attempting to enter the country once again. The many economic benefits immigrants bring can help the ongoing problem with the debt of America. The nation would be forced to create more jobs because of the cost of amnesty which will benefit the economy in the long-run. American businesses will thrive and that will encourage American citizens to spend money on their country’s businesses as opposed to spending on other foreign businesses. Unlike mass deportation, amnesty is an actual solution to combat the illegal immigration issue.

America is a nation built and founded by immigrants. People, no matter where they are from, work extremely hard to live a better life for themselves and their families. America should be proud that so many people would like to come into their country. The immigration dilemma has been an ongoing issue that has divided the nation. Instead of having heated debates, political parties and politicians need to address the issue together and provide a solution that is beneficial to citizens of the United States, like amnesty. Failure to act will continue to divide the country even more while continuing to accumulate to the rising debt. It is unfortunate that American citizens are contributing to the breaking up of families instead of attempting to assist their fellow human beings. For once, the United States must unite to fix the broken immigration policy and to bring forth a solution that will benefit the nation as whole.