Washington D.C. residents this week offered their opinions on the question of whether technology has helped or harmed society.
The question of whether technology has gone too far remains a hotly debated topic, from the rise of social media to the debate on cloning.
Joe Gilligar, 21, is an intern working at Congress. He expressed that even though the internet is a useful tool, people have become too reliant on it.
When asked if he was a social media addict, he said, “I’m pretty sure everyone is.”
Peoples’ technology addiction is widely discussed. Gilligar pointed out that even casual tech users tend to go into a panic when separated from their phones.
Despite the amount of criticism modern technology gets from older generations, the use of the internet has been on a steady rise for all age groups. Even those who criticize modern technology sometimes find themselves users of it.
Mari Andrews, 28, felt that overall, modern technology has helped people.
“I think it’s really good for empathy and understanding of other people,” she said.
Andrews suggested that any form of technology will have its uses and its problems, and it’s the uses that should be focused on.
One thing that many people agree with is that social media is capable of changing peoples’ personalities. These changes are usually characterized as negative ones, including laziness, arrogance, rudeness, and a lack of social activity.
American University student Eric Carlson, 26, pointed out that some kinds of modern technology are often overlooked, such as those within the medical field.
“I’d much rather have a heart attack now than in 1995,” he says.
As an international student, Carlson finds modern communication techniques particularly useful.
“We can communicate overseas,” he said with great enthusiasm.
Technology is used to make many jobs far easier. Many people feel that the internet has revolutionized many jobs and made them far easier.
For many people, imagining the world without the internet has become difficult, perhaps even impossible.