Prompt: The 21st century has begun. What changes do you think this new century will bring? Use examples and details in your answer.
 |
<Loneliness in a crowd?> |
Though humans live in a constant interaction with other people, they feel the need to acquire their own space to relax alone. The harmony between communication and separation is thus crucial in maintaining both psychologically and socially stable life. Considering this, technological advance has a possibility to be a threat that destroys the balance in the future despite its significant help in the progress of civilization so far. It minimizes human contact, causing human alienation.
First of all, technological advance itself will break the physical connection between people. Technology has created another world in electronic devices, driving people toward confusion of the real world. In subways or buses, it is easy to see people plug in earphones and looking into the screens of handheld devices, not looking outside the window or interacting with others. Social media has brought a similar effect. It is true that media such as Twitter and Facebook facilitates the sharing and spread of information, but can it be considered as ‘social’ media when no human interaction is actually made? Often, it results in an influx of unnecessary or false information, making people spend more time with machines than with people. While humans should be in control of technology, it may be the other way around in the future with technology stepping forward at an extreme rate.
Second, technological development will jeopardize people’s psychological health as well. Humans long for sense of belonging to a group as it offers safety and prevents anxiety rising from feeling disconnected. While new technology presents limitless potential of new opportunities of, for example, education and improved productivity, it creates mental instability by weakening people’s connection with one another. Distance education and working from home could save time and allow people to spend time in more comfortable surroundings. But at the same time, we have to consider what we lose for less moving and less talking. Would we have a chance or feel the need to go outside for some fresh air and meet other people if everything is done inside the house? The same problem occurs for augmented reality because technology isolates one from other people. They cause people to submerge themselves in an artificial world that they become disconnected from the real world.
Finally, political apathy is also a related problem that can occur from human alienation. Since technological progress inhibits effective communication between members of society, it would be difficult to comprehend situations others are in unless one is willing enough to find out. This could lead to political apathy as people know little about one another and thus have hard time making a right decision during the political process. It is also plausible that people do not pay much attention about what is going on in politics since they think it will not matter in any way. They only want their lives to be more comfortable and without any disruption. Thus, people may show bland indifference towards their roles in political process. With such low participation from people, government can lose support which forms the foundation of stability of a government and authority to bring people all together.
Human civilization was able to continuously take a step forward with the help of rapid and ground-breaking advances in technology. It progressed in a way that can maximize the comfort of human beings. However, we need to examine if new technology is really necessary and if the life without it is better than with it. Otherwise, it would be a world where humans are being controlled by technologies without clear self-identity.
"The world is not a collection of isolated individuals; all are somehow connected one with another." - Aristotle
Very insightful. But is it really true? One hand washes the other, and with one positive change comes a negative, and vice versa. Facebook often leads to offline meetings, and also enriches a relationship ahead of time - saving the small talk to some extent. However, technology does swallow up a lot of our attention, and we are afraid to be with out it. Very nice work.
답글삭제