The Positive And Negative Effects Of Technology In Our Lives

A few years ago, I was driving on the freeway alongside a man that was talking on his cell phone. Not only is this illegal, but it is also very dangerous, and I knew this. I safely changed lanes to avoid him while he was talking on the phone. A few minutes later, the car had hit another car while drifting into another lane. Whether this accident was fatal or not, I do not know. However, this accident was dangerous to many people on the freeway and could have been avoided. Our generation has felt a huge impact from technology in our daily lives, with both positive and negative effects. It can help by allowing us to have access to information whenever needed, which improves efficiency and aids in the immediacy of information. The negatives …show more content…
For example, almost every time I go out to eat, there is always a group of people that are silent at a table because they are all on their cell phones. Their cell phones cause distractions for them and disrupt the social connections that are supposed to be made. The internet allows us to stay connected with others wherever we go. We can be far away but still feel “connected” through communication over the internet. Social media allow us to stay up to date with how our friends and others are doing and also allows us to show our followers what is currently going on in our lives. Some might see this as a priceless luxury, however; I do not agree. These virtual connections make us feel connected; however, there is no intimacy or actual connection. We have the ability to communicate with others, but we cannot see their body language or hear their tone of voice. This hinders our ability to hear the primary message that they are trying to convey. The type of communication we are accustomed to online (e-mail, texting, posting updates, etc.), can make us less social and make us feel disconnected. The point of social media is to help us feel connected; however, I think that the opposite occurs; the type of unanimated communication that takes place compels us to feel lonely and unattached. We are often too busy looking at or playing with our portable devices that we miss out on the face to …show more content…
Google is a very popular search aid on the internet. You can simply type something into Google, and various webpages come up relating to your initial search. This is where the efficiency of the Internet is in full effect; it takes under a second to receive information that you want. This kind of efficiency is what many believe, make us lazy. Today, we don’t need to put in much effort to find information on a topic. Nicholas Carr, a writer on the influence of technology on business and economics, as well as the author of Is Google Making us Stupid? ponders the question that is very prevalent today. Is this type of technology hindering our ability to think? According to Carr, “The advantages of having immediate access to such an incredibly rich store of information are many, and they’ve been widely described and duly applauded.” However, he also points out, “that boon comes at a price.” “And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation.” The internet allows for immediate access to a wealth of information, but it hinders our ability to form our own thoughts. We have become so used to relying on the Internet, that we are losing the ability to think for ourselves. The type of reading that is done while researching on the internet lacks actual reading comprehension. Many people agree that, in the past, they were