Blog 11 + Final Blog: Technology is Threatening

Technology is around us constantly. No matter how I try to think about it, technology has a huge impact on not only my life, but the many lives of those close to my age group. I’m currently able to type my blog because of technology. I’m able to communicate to those close and to those far away from me because of technology. I’m able to take pictures on my cell phone, copy the words from that picture, and then paste them anywhere else because of technology. Technology is an integral part of our lives now, whether we wanted it to be that way or not. This leads to many questions, including probably the most important one to ask; “Is technology mostly good or bad for people?”

Is Technology Healthy?

I know my relationship with technology leans on the more unhealthier side of things. It’s hard to argue against the fact that my everyday activities involve technology. If I’m not using technology for something useful like studying or working on classwork, then I’m most likely using technology for my entertainment purposes. I’m using technology so much that I am starting to notice I rely on it too much. “Can’t spell a certain word?” No problem, as autocorrect simply spells the word correctly for you. “Don’t know a question for homework?” No problem, as the internet will most likely have the answer for you, with no actual work necessary. Technology is hindering the ability to learn. With everything being done for you without trying, people will be less motivated to do or work for anything. I see the plenty of pros for technology, and how it could help us become smarter and more creative, but it all depends on the intentions of others. The majority of these intentions are used for negative things and outcomes. Unless we change our purpose and intent with the use of technology, technology will always be seen as a negative affect to me.

Worrying About Technology

Just another reason as to why I ultimately believe that technology is for the worse is because of its usage by countries around the world. After watching PBS’s Frontline Film, “In The Age of AI”, it became clear that Artificial Intelligence is the driving force for the removal of the privacy of the general population. While the capabilities of AI is incredible to say the least, I previously mentioned that the intention to use these types of technologies is usually negative, and its purposes and actions are just that. Deep learning for example, is a technology that the AI mimics the neural networks of the human brain, thus figuring out it’s own instructions, while it studies and creates opportunities and ways of thinking humans have and could never have thought of before. That honestly kind of freaks me out. We are creating technology that is programmed to be better than us. As silly as it sounds, no wonder people constantly think that robots and technology will turn on us humans and take over the world. I think it is very dangerous. Another piece of technology is Facial Recognition. This technology can recognize and remember the faces of everyone just from one glance. I unlock my phone, confirm purchases, input passwords all by using facial recognition. Talk about a loss of privacy. All of these companies and applications have my face downloaded and stored in their database forever. Like I said before, I see the good in it. It makes simpler tasks ever more simpler and easier. It makes life just a little bit easier. China uses facial recognition to take people who jaywalk and shame them by showing their faces on stoplights for everyone to see. Also stores and shops in China replaced currency with payments by facial recognition. By scanning the customers face, it connects to their banks and wallets and completes the transaction as quick and simple as that. That to me is very scary. Our privacy and the lives we are used to living are currently being threatened by the rapid growth of technology. I truly believe that there is no stopping it, as it already is an accepting part of society.