Chase Holding

2/15/18

STS W1

Professor Fleming

Technology, how will it Affect us in 50 years?

 

After a long day of class or work, many people in the world choose to set aside their technology in order to momentarily break away from its everlasting grasp. This behavior is more common with older generations who grew up without cellphones and laptops at young ages and believe these times were better. As someone who grew up during the era of the iphone and has always had access to the internet, separating from technology has never crossed my mind. While I admit it is relaxing to occasionally travel without my cell phone or computer, the 21st centuries technology dominant culture has entrapped me and will continue to dominate my life for as long as I live. As the generations who grew up without technology slowly fade, the question remains: How will technology affect us in 50 years? As the “Millennials” grow older, technology will become increasingly difficult to avoid, even though its consequences will be clear.

It’s a scary concept. A world without people who grew up with no laptops or phones, and had to write papers by hand. I will always cherish the stories my grandparents and parents tell me about the differences between their childhood and mine, however I am nervous as to where society will be when my generation grows old. The fact is, while technology makes many aspects of life simpler, no research has been done on how it affects humans mentally. Many studies show that in around 10-20 years, science will be able to prove that an excess of technology is bad for your mind and longevity. The reality is, will this research really stop us? Technology has dominated our industries and it is almost impossible to think of a part of our life that is not created with technology; even artificial food and nature! Soon enough, technology will take away jobs and damage our environment more than it can be repaired. The solution is simple but probably will never be achievable. We must find a sustainable balance between technology use and real life experience. Humans must also divert their technological focus away from the “new iphone” towards medical and environmental studies. There is no question that technology has led to remarkable achievements in both fields, but with these findings lies more potential. We must act now. Overall, if humans were able to find a balance between technology and real life  experience as well as to divert their technological focus, our generation might find away to keep this planet alive.

 

The 21st century is the most sophisticated era in human history. Unfortunately, the lack of precaution has led this century to have the most potential to be the most damaging towards humans and the environment. If we don’t act fast, in 50 years the world will be filled with technology dependent humans who have no appreciation of their past. It is my hope that humans will realize what technology has done to our world or else the 21st century could become the demise of human nature itself.