Technology Benefits for Humanity - Essay Example

?Technology Benefits Humanity Our generation was born into an era that takes technology for granted. Having the ability to do things like search for information, talk to our friends from any point in the world, and stay instantly connected to the world around us are things that are part and parcel of life in the 21st century. Such technological advancements have benefited our society in more ways than one. Unfortunately, not everyone realizes what a gift we have been given by the previous generations. Even more unfortunate, is the fact that there are still people in Third World nations that have no idea as to how technological advancements can aid them in improving their stock in life. It was Jeff Skoll who best described how the human race benefits immensely from the existence of technology in our daily lives. Quoted in Forbes Magazine for an article (Rahim, Kanani “A Minute with Jeff Skoll on Technology and Global Change”), he explains that: Today, technology is the social catalyst empowering communities in all corners of the globe to improve their lives and shape their collective future.  Modern technology is opening floodgates of information and influence historically reserved only for those in power.  It not only helps to uncover the way to tackle a big issue, technology also helps to stimulate the most elusive and most needed breakthrough of all:  the will to act in our collective self-interest. Our collective self-interest is most commonly seen in the desire for self-preservation. As a society, our scientific experts know that our resources on the planet are not infinite and therefore must be cared for and propagated to the best of our abilities. However, the physical and mental abilities of man are limited in scope and require further help in that aspect. This is where the ingenious minds of the scientist and creative thinkers comes in. By developing technologies that can do what we only imagine, technology proves that is actually has a place in the existence and continued evolution of mankind. Technology saves us time and money. It allows us to do things that we can only dream of or can only accomplish on a limited basis. Our farmers used to plant their seeds and harvest their crop by hand. These processes used to take them days or even weeks on end to accomplish. Problems due to the frailty of man usually meant lost income for them. However, by using computers and machines to do the job of humans, they not only doubled production in the agricultural sector, but they also improved the quality of their products. Sadly, the reason that technology benefits human beings is also the very same reason that they pose a danger to our species. For every technological advancement in any given field, one can bet that there will be hundreds, if not thousands of human manual laborers who are set to lose their jobs (Kim, Sun Jin “Advantages and Disadvantages of Advanced Technology”). Such situations make it clear to see that technological advancements also pose a check and balance situation for human beings. It reminds us that although robots and computers can do the job, it still takes a highly trained human being on the other end to make these advancements work. One of the most high profile opponents of technological advancement is the Catholic Pope Benedict XVI. He has often argued that technology is evil because it allows humans to act like God. As one listens to his arguments though, the listener must remember that the Catholic church has been against any scientific and technological discoveries and advancements since the time of Galileo. As an ancient religion, it has become irrelevant and lacks a thorough understanding of the relevance of technology in the lives of 21st century people. If one is to grant that the argument of the pope has some merit, then one must also admit that the statement of the pope is based upon a lack of understanding of how technology truly affects the lives of modern day man. The benefit for modern day man can actually be explained in one concise statement (Reilly, Bernard “'Playing God' with Technology Benefits Humanity”), “Technology has improved our world vastly. It has advanced human knowledge and allows those with disabilities to live normal lives. “ Therefore, man will have to admit that we do have a tendency to play God when it comes to the lives of people who can be helped by technological advancements. Isn't that what helping one another all about anyway? Making sure that those in need get the help that they deserve? If technology allows man to fulfill that desire, how can technological advancements be a bad thing for mankind? The simple answer is that it is not a bad thing for mankind. Remember that science and technology are now part and parcel of our daily lives. Whether we notice it or not is not the issue here. What matters is that technology has raised the bar when it comes to way that man lives his life. The advent of high end technology has allowed even our manner of education to become more important and relevant to our society. Our educational system has never been more computer dependent than it is today. This is because the technological advancements being made require human beings to have a deeper understanding of the complex world that he now lives in and how technology fits into the overall scheme of things in his life. When one believes that man benefits from technology, that means that he has a higher understanding of the way our modern world works and has become much easier to live in simply because the technology to make life virtually stress free does exist. Remember that machines do not make the same errors that humans are prone to. Therefore all tasks assigned to machines and robots will go off flawlessly every single time. Admittedly, the argument regarding the benefits that human beings derive from technology does have its pros and cons. However, for every negative debate topic introduced, there are at least two advantages that can quash the opponents argument. Remember that although technology works for the benefit of the human beings, there is still a human at the other end of the technology, making sure that it works without a problem. Therefore, there are no real jobs lost to robots or machines in the process. The workers merely have to appreciate the retraining that they need in order to continue working in an ever changing field of work. Technological advancement has reached the point where it has changed the work dynamic of human beings. We have seen a marked shift from the manual labor days of man that required him to use more of his brawn than his brains, to the reverse of that type of work ethic. These days, work is no longer about hard labor but rather, hard mental labor. Work for man these days tends to veer on brain power side of things, thus proving that technology has indeed proven to be more beneficial to man and his way of life. Works Cited “How can Technology Benefit our Students?”. k12.hi.us. k12.hi.us. n.d. Web. 5 Dec. 2012. Kanani, Rahim. “A Minute with Jeff Skoll on Technology and Global Change”. Leadership. Forbes. 5 Jul. 2011. Web. 28 Nov 2012. Kim, Sun Jin. “Advantages and Disadvantages of Technology”. Information. Scienceray. 13 Jul. 2008. Web. 1 Dec. 2012. O'Reilly, Bernard. “'Playing God' with Technology Benefits Humanity”. Letters. independent.ie. 21 Apr. 2011. Web. 29 Nov 2012. Read More