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Pierro's Perspective

Will technology change humanity, or has it already?

by Robin Pierro

February 28, 2005

In my opinion, technology has become too advanced. I am 17-years-old, and I can still remember a time when I did not have a computer in my home, and if you did, it was uncommon. Not until the mid-1990s was it common for middle class families to have computers. In our society today, almost every single family has at least one computer if not more, and these computers are incredibly advanced compared to what you'd have had in your home a short ten years ago. Over the years, I have seen technology bloom; all I have known my entire lifetime, is that there is going to be something bigger, I should really say smaller, and better out on the market in no time. I can't believe how fast manufacturers are coming out with new technology. What will happen in the future, will technology become so advanced is changes the course of our humanity?

You can do everything you want from a computer, work, play, talk to friends, research, and even order food! A person could live their entire life jammed up in a room with a computer, and they would have access to everything they need! It is insane!

The advances in communication technology are blowing up all over the place as well. I, myself just bought a new camera phone, and this phone is amazing. The picture quality is superb, and not only that but I have access to the internet on my PHONE! I can't believe how the cell phone market has so drastically increased. The first phone I ever had was five years ago, when I was 12 years old. That phone today would be considered huge, clunky, heavy, and "old". I personally couldn't even imagine myself walking around with that phone without being embarrassed. It just goes to show how much things have changed in five years, and people just keep on taking it all in. Every time I have bought a new phone since that point, six months later, I have wanted a new one because my phone was not up to date. Can you believe it, after not even a year a phone can completely go off the market because it is not advanced enough? The manufacturers are putting these things out faster than people can buy them. My mother bought a camera phone in 2003, it cost her $400, the camera phone I bought last week cost me $100.

Another huge price jump has been DVD players. At one point DVD players were costing people close to a thousand dollars, now you can get one for $79.99 at Wal-Mart, or they are giving them away free with a large purchase at some retailers.

I just stand back and think, how in this world can things be moving so quickly. If you are not up to date with what's going on in technology, and you lose track of all the new advances coming out you will find yourself completely lost within society.

For a short while, I disassociated myself with many forms of technology. I never got into the whole CD walkman thing, and now I turn around and people have mp3 players the size of my thumb. I can't believe it. I don't even know what they are. It is not that I don't take interest in technology or its advances, it is the fact that things are getting so complicated it's not even worth the hassle to use them for me. Give me what I need and I'll make do, I don't need cameras the size of a finger, or a phone where I can't even press the numbers because it is so small. What am I going to possibly use a phone/ palm pilot for?

Some people now are thinking, well you need a palm pilot phone for this or that, and a small camera comes in handy sometimes, but really what did our parents do, or what did you do before all this technology came out? People lived life, and enjoyed it. Technology does not make you enjoy your life more, it may make things a bit easier at times, but in the long run will change the course of humanity, and I think it will change it for the worst.

People already rely on machines to do things for them to much. Our species is becoming incompetent, because we have machines to do everything for us. In the future I just see it, people will become so lazy and incompetent, and machines will take over. The creation of artificial intelligence is not that far away, and since we have lost control of all other technology advances, how do we know we won't lose control of that as well.

Don't get me wrong I do not hate technology, I just think things should slow down a bit so that every time something comes out people can use and enjoy and learn about it before the next product is out on the market. We need to keep things a little more controlled, before they control us. I just don't see the use in having so many advances, enjoy life with what you have. The world has become a different place in the last 50 years, and will continue to throw new products out at you. I always wonder if manufacturers will ever run out of ideas. I kind of doubt it though. Humans will always need some sort of machine to make their life even easier than it already is!

It is just my opinion that technology is a little too advanced, half the things out on the market I wouldn't want to buy just because they are so complicated. The world's technology craze needs to settle down a little bit, before we regret creating something that takes us over.