Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology

Weekly Theme: Do you think technology is a blessing or a curse (or both)?

When I was a child, technology was usually a lenefit.  It helped with many things that would take much more strength or time to finish, such as making housework easier and quicker.  Computers back then made schoolwork and homework neater, easier to read, and quicker to accomplish.  Telephones kept improving with more funcitons added, and eventually became cordless.  The first cordless phones did not have good reception, but that quickly improved over the years.  E-mail is very useful for communication, especially when everyone has different schedules, and the internet allows us to find materials we normally can’t find.

Unfortunately, since the late 1990s, technology has become a hindrance.  Computers, phones, stereos, and even cars come with many unnecessary functions, and fall apart more easily.  Windows Vista was an example.  It was worse than XP, with many hindering and incompatible features.  Not only does technology cost too much, it makes us feel confused and left behind.  For example, I am often stressed out trying to keep up with the technological advances.

Technology, especially the computer and internet, also makes people more improper, arrogant, rude, cliquey, and socially incompetent.  Spending so much time in front of machines and little time with people takes away manners and other social skills.  Much content that are nasty, improper, encouraging negative behavior, and bad influences to society keep popping up on TV, online, and many other media sources, making the world a worse place.  With cell phones, all people do is talk or text their friends, refusing to interact with anyone outside their clique.  This often makes me feel left out.  Same with laptops.  I understand if people have work to do on them, but for most people, their free time is usually spent on watching movies, playing games, and chatting on the laptop.  You can’t even talk to them, because they will just ignore or push you away.

Technology is a blessing to a certain extent, but when it gets to the point of causing stress, misery, and other bad things, then it’s a curse.  That’s what it has become since the late 1990s.