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.